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Hindustan Times, Pune | ByJui Dharwadkar, Pune
May 30, 2018 04:26 PM IST
Surekha Ramachandran, founder of Down Syndrome Federation of India, was in the city on Tuesday to announce the second international down syndrome conference which would be held in the city from May 31 to June 2 at The Corinthians Club.
Down syndrome, which arises from a chromosome defect, is likely to have a direct link with the increase in stress levels seen in couples during the time of conception, say Surekha Ramachandran, founder of Down Syndrome Federation of India, who has been studying about the same ever since her daughter was diagnosed with the syndrome, 37 years ago. The federation was established by her to get specialists, parents and doctors under a single roof which could provide the needed guidance and support.
Ramachandran was in the city on Tuesday to announce the second international down syndrome conference which would be held in the city from May 31 to June 2 at The Corinthians Club.
The event will bring together all stakeholders like educators, healthcare professionals and parents to spread awareness about the condition.
“We are presently studying whether stress can be directly linked to the down syndrome. Our observations do seem to suggest that stress is a factor which can play a significant role and we are collecting evidence to prove it. The present statistics show that 1 in 750 children are diagnosed with this condition and 90 per cent of these children are the second child born to the parents,” said Ramachandran.
She said that children with Down syndrome should be screened mainly for heart, vision, hearing or stomach-related issues and the diagnosis and screening should be done at an early stage.
“If parents and doctors can ensure early diagnosis and intervention then these children with Down syndrome can lead a close to normal lives, attend school, marry and even to take up jobs. Ramachandran said that many such success stories would be seen during the conference.
Speaking about the syndrome, doctors have said that down syndrome is one of the most common genetic birth disorders which is associated with mild to moderate learning disabilities, developmental delays, characteristic facial features and low muscle tone in early infancy. Through a series of screenings and tests, Down syndrome can be detected.
FAQs
Stress in couples during conception could be a likely cause of Down syndrome, says researcher in Pune? ›
Down syndrome, which arises from a chromosome defect, is likely to have a direct link with the increase in stress levels seen in couples during the time of conception, say Surekha Ramachandran, founder of Down Syndrome Federation of India, who has been studying about the same ever since her daughter was diagnosed with ...
What causes a couple to have a Down syndrome baby? ›Down syndrome is usually caused by an error in cell division called “nondisjunction.” Nondisjunction results in an embryo with three copies of chromosome 21 instead of the usual two. Prior to or at conception, a pair of 21st chromosomes in either the sperm or the egg fails to separate.
What is the latest research saying about Down syndrome? ›A new research has confirmed a correlation between the secretion of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH), which is responsible for regulating the sex hormones and is produced in the neurons in the brain, and cognitive processes in Down syndrome.
What do scientists think causes Down syndrome? ›Down syndrome is caused by a random error in cell division that results in the presence of an extra copy of chromosome 21. The type of error is called nondisjunction (pronounced non-dis-JUHNGK-shuhn).
What factor can increase a couple's chance of having a Down syndrome child? ›Advancing maternal age.
A woman's chances of giving birth to a child with Down syndrome increase with age because older eggs have a greater risk of improper chromosome division. A woman's risk of conceiving a child with Down syndrome increases after 35 years of age.
“We are presently studying whether stress can be directly linked to the down syndrome. Our observations do seem to suggest that stress is a factor which can play a significant role and we are collecting evidence to prove it.
Which couple is statistically most likely to have a child with Down syndrome? ›Maternal age is the only factor that has been linked to an increased chance of having a baby with Down syndrome resulting from nondisjunction or mosaicism. However, due to higher birth rates in younger women, 80% of children with Down syndrome are born to women under 35 years of age.
What factors are most likely to cause Down syndrome? ›The Science That Explains Why Down Syndrome Happens
In the vast majority of cases — somewhere upwards of 95 percent — one of their parents' pairs of 21st chromosomes failed to divide at or before conception.
Down syndrome occurs in people of all races and economic levels. The risk increases with the mother's age (1 in 1250 for a 25 year old mother to 1 in 1000 at age 31, 1 in 400 at age 35, and about 1 in 100 at age 40). However, 80% of babies with Down syndrome are born to women under age 35 years.
What is high risk of Down syndrome in pregnancy? ›● Screen positive (high risk) – A patient with a result of 1 in 50 would have a "high" risk. The "1" in 50 means that, among 50 patients with this same risk, one of them would have a developing baby with Down syndrome.
Can Down syndrome couples conceive? ›
People with Down syndrome rarely reproduce. Fifteen to thirty percent of women with trisomy 21 are fertile and they have about a 50% risk of having a child with Down syndrome. There is no evidence of a man with Down syndrome fathering a child.
Does the father age affect Down syndrome? ›As men age, their risk of fathering a child with Down syndrome may increase—the older the man, the more likely that the process of spermatogenesis, or sperm production will go awry, leading to sperm that contain errors like an extra chromosome.
What is the most likely cause of Down syndrome? ›In the majority of Down syndrome cases, the errors in cell division that lead to the extra 21st chromosome come from the child's mother. (4) “As maternal age increases, risk for Down syndrome increases,” Heller says. “Between a woman's early twenties and menopause, risk goes up by about fiftyfold.”
How can you prevent Down syndrome? ›Can Down syndrome be prevented or avoided? There is nothing you can do to prevent or avoid your child having Down syndrome. However, your risk is lower if you have children at a younger age.
Who is likely to have a baby with Down syndrome? ›Down syndrome occurs in people of all races and economic levels. The risk increases with the mother's age (1 in 1250 for a 25 year old mother to 1 in 1000 at age 31, 1 in 400 at age 35, and about 1 in 100 at age 40). However, 80% of babies with Down syndrome are born to women under age 35 years.
How do you conceive a baby with Down syndrome? ›Down's syndrome is when you're born with an extra chromosome. You usually get an extra chromosome by chance, because of a change in the sperm or egg before you're born. This change does not happen because of anything anyone did before or during pregnancy.