DMC College Foundation, Inc. - Physical Therapy Department

15/07/2025

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DMC achieves a 100% passing rate for first-time takers and 100% overall performance in the recent June 2025 Physical Therapists Licensure Examination by the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC)! Details to follow…💯

27/04/2025

DOWN SYNDROME

What is Down syndrome?
Down syndrome is a genetic condition where people are born with an extra chromosome. Most people have 23 pairs of chromosomes within each cell in their body, for a total of 46. A person diagnosed with Down syndrome has an extra copy of chromosome 21, which means their cells contain 47 total chromosomes instead of 46. This changes the way their brain and body develop.

Who does Down syndrome affect?
Down syndrome can affect anyone. It’s a genetic condition, and it doesn’t happen as a result of something that the parents did before or during pregnancy. The majority of Down syndrome cases happen randomly (sporadically). People don’t usually inherit Down syndrome in an autosomal dominant or recessive pattern during conception when the egg and s***m meet.

What are the risk factors for Down syndrome?
Females who are 35 or older are more likely to have a child diagnosed with Down syndrome or another type of genetic condition.

What are the symptoms of Down syndrome?
Down syndrome causes physical, cognitive and behavioral symptoms. Not all people with Down syndrome have all of these symptoms. Symptoms and their severity are different from person to person.

Physical signs of Down syndrome

A flat nose bridge.
Slanted eyes that point upward.
A short neck.
Small ears, hands and feet.
Weak muscle tone at birth.
Small pinky finger that points inward towards the thumb.
One crease in the palm of their hand (palmar crease).
Shorter-than-average height.

As your child grows, additional symptoms can arise because of the way that their body developed in the uterus, including:

Ear infections or hearing loss.
Vision problems or eye diseases.
Dental problems.
Being more prone to infections or illnesses.
Obstructive sleep apnea.
Congenital heart disease.

Cognitive symptoms of Down syndrome

Walk and move (gross and fine motor skills).
Speak (language development skills).
Learn (cognitive skills).
Play (social and emotional skills).
As a result, it may take your child longer to do the following things:
Toilet training.
Speaking their first words.
Taking their first steps.
Eating food independently.
Behavioral symptoms of Down syndrome
Stubbornness and tantrums.
Difficulty paying attention.
Obsessive or compulsive behaviors.
What causes Down syndrome?
An extra chromosome causes Down syndrome. Each human cell typically contains 23 pairs of chromosomes, which totals 46. Down syndrome occurs because of changes in the way cells in chromosome 21 divide. Every person with Down syndrome has an extra chromosome 21 in some or all of their cells.
Diagnostic tests during pregnancy
Amniocentesis.
Chorionic villus sampling (CVS).
Percutaneous umbilical blood sampling (PUBS)
https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/17818-down-syndrome