Why do people with Down syndrome look different?

1 People with Down syndrome typically have distinctive physical features and intellectual challenges as a result of having an extra chromosome. A chromosome is a thread-like structure made up of protein and DNA. Humans have 23 pairs of chromosomes inherited from their parents.

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What causes Down syndrome facial features?

The most common live-born human aneuploidy is trisomy 21, which causes Down syndrome (DS). Dosage imbalance of genes on chromosome 21 (Hsa21) affects complex gene-regulatory interactions and alters development to produce a wide range of phenotypes, including characteristic facial dysmorphology.

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Does Down syndrome affect appearance?

People with Down syndrome often have a characteristic facial appearance that includes a flattened appearance to the face, outside corners of the eyes that point upward (upslanting palpebral fissures ), small ears, a short neck , and a tongue that tends to stick out of the mouth.

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Do all people with Down syndrome look different?

People with Down syndrome don't 'all look the same'. The condition is characterised by certain physical features, but people can have all of them — or none. A person with Down syndrome typically looks more like their close family members than another person with the condition.

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Why do babies with Down syndrome look different?

The extra copy of chromosome 21 changes how your baby's body will develop and grow into adulthood. People with Down syndrome often have variations on these characteristics: Flatter facial features. Low muscle tone.

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Why Do Down Syndrome People Look Alike? **UPDATED**

43 related questions found

Can 2 Down syndrome have a baby?

Yes. A woman with Down's syndrome can have children. If her partner does not have Down's syndrome, the theoretical chance of the child having Down's syndrome is 50%. There have been only a few reports of men with Down's syndrome fathering children.

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What is the highest IQ for Down syndrome people?

Most individuals with Down syndrome have mild (IQ: 50–69) or moderate (IQ: 35–50) intellectual disability with some cases having severe (IQ: 20–35) difficulties. Those with mosaic Down syndrome typically have IQ scores 10–30 points higher than that.

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Are all Down syndrome people chubby?

Children with Down syndrome are more likely than their unaffected siblings to have higher levels of a hormone associated with obesity, according to pediatric researchers. The hormone, leptin, may contribute to the known higher risk of obesity among children and adults with Down syndrome.

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Can someone have Down syndrome and be normal?

Although many children with Down syndrome have physical and mental limitations, they can live independent and productive lives well into adulthood. About one half of children with Down syndrome are born with heart problems, including atrial septal defect, ventricular septal defect, and endocardial cushion defects.

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Can you have Down syndrome but look normal?

Some of the children with Mosaic Down syndrome that we know do not actually look as if they have Down syndrome - the usual physical features are not obvious. This raises some important and difficult social issues and identity issues for both parents and children, which parents have discussed with us.

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What is the mental age of Down syndrome people?

7 individuals with Down syndrome (mean mental age = 8.18 +/- 2.73 years; mean chronological age = 29.8 +/- 5.4 years) and a group of 9 typically developing children, matched for mental age, (mean mental age = 8.40 +/- 1.73 years; mean chronological age = 7.2 +/- 1.2 years) were given a version of Cooper and Shepherd's ...

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What are the 4 types of Down syndrome?

There are three types of Down syndrome: trisomy 21 (nondisjunction), translocation and mosaicism. Trisomy 21 (nondisjunction) accounts for 95% of known cases of Down syndrome.

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How are Down syndrome eyes different from regular eyes?

Unusually Shaped Eyes

An infant with down syndrome will commonly have eyes that slant upward, oftentimes with a fold of skin from the upper eyelid that covers one of the inner corners of the eye. This sign is more obvious than Brushfield spots but can be discerned in much the same way by looking into an infant's eyes.

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Can a person with Down syndrome marry a normal person?

The answer is: Yes, a person with Down syndrome can get married and have children, and there are many successful experiences in marriage and childbearing in such category of people.

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Do almond shaped eyes mean Down syndrome?

What are the symptoms? Children with Down syndrome may share similar features, such as almond-shaped eyes that tilt upward. They usually learn to talk later than other children and have some intellectual disability. Some children may also have certain health issues, such as a heart or breathing problem.

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Why are Down syndrome eyes?

Down syndrome is associated with common characteristic features of the eyes. This includes upward slanting of the eyelids, prominent folds of skin between the eye and the nose, and small white spots present on the iris (the colored part of the eye) called Brushfield's spots.

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Do Down syndrome people know they have it?

Most adults with Down syndrome are aware they have Down syndrome. Children with Down syndrome live ordinary lives filled with extraordinary needs. You cannot have mild or severe Down syndrome. Either you have it or you do not.

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Can people with Down syndrome be smart?

Even though people with Down syndrome might act and look similar, each person has different abilities. People with Down syndrome usually have an IQ (a measure of intelligence) in the mildly-to-moderately low range and are slower to speak than other children.

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What are 3 interesting facts about Down syndrome?

One in every 691 babies in the U.S. is born with Down syndrome, making it the most common chromosomal condition. There are more than 400,000 people living with Down syndrome in the U.S. In 1983, the average life expectancy of a person with Down syndrome was a mere 25-years-old. Today, it's 60.

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Why are people with Down syndrome so big?

Misconception: All people with Down syndrome are overweight.

Research suggests that both the thyroid and a lower metabolic rate contribute to people with Down syndrome being overweight.

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Why do people with Down syndrome weigh a lot?

Individuals with Down syndrome have a higher likelihood of being obese than their typically developing peers. Sometimes it is the result of hypothyroidism, a condition in which the thyroid doesn't produce enough of certain hormones.

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Why are Down syndrome males sterile?

Conclusion(s): Although Down syndrome males have been reported to be infertile, it may not always be true. Infertility in males has been attributed to defective spermatogenesis, but ignorance of the sexual act may be one of the contributing factors.

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Are people with Down syndrome mentally disabled?

Most children with Down syndrome have some level of intellectual disability ⎯ usually in the mild to moderate range. People with mild intellectual disability are usually able to learn how to do everyday things like read, hold a job, and take public transportation on their own.

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Are people with Down syndrome sterile?

As in men with DS, puberty appears to be normal in women with DS and starts at the same average age as in the healthy population. Women with DS are fertile, since many cases of maternity have been reported [29].

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Does Down syndrome run in families?

In almost all cases, Down's syndrome does not run in families. Your chance of having a baby with Down's syndrome increases as you get older, but anyone can have a baby with Down's syndrome. Speak to a GP if you want to find out more.

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