When you’re planning for the imminent birth of your child, there is so much that you have to prepare, from getting a room ready to having enough clothes for the first few months, at the very least. In addition to this, you’ve got to pick out a name, choose a hospital to deliver in, and write up a birth plan. But for some parents, the process of planning for their new baby becomes a bit more complicated.
Medical screening during pregnancy has become more advanced than ever before in history. As a matter of fact, many genetic abnormalities can be detected through a mere blood test still within the first trimester. In addition to this, the screening ultrasound that is performed about halfway through the typical pregnancy can also often be used as an effective diagnostic tool. And it is through these methods of prenatal and fetal screening that many parents discover that their children are likely to be born with down syndrome.
Down syndrome awareness has grown over the course of recent years, and we now konw that up to one baby for every 700 will be born with the condition. In total, this means that around 6,000 American babies will be born with down syndrome on a yearly basis. Those with down syndrome are also now able to be supported more than ever before, and the outlook for those with down sydrome is certainly better than ever before. In fact, even overall life expectancy for the population of those with down syndrome has increased impressively, with most living to be 60 and some living to even reach their 80s. In fact, there are now more than 600 million people living not just with down syndrome, but with various disabilities all throughout the world, meaning that the world is becoming a more and more hospitable place for such people as time passes on.
But getting the news that your child has down syndrome is certainly not an easy thing. Fortunately, there are many resources available to parents who are facing exactly this situation. For instance, simply answering the question of what is down syndrome can be helpful. Of course, the most of us know what is down syndrome in the larger sense, but the intricacies of the question what is down syndrome are certainly not necessarily so widely known. Having a trusted medical professional to answer down syndrome questions, as answering down syndrome questions is something that can help to take away some of the fear for many parents surrounding their child’s future – and future quality of life.
A down syndrome disability does have a few things that must be taken into consideration from early on when looking at raising a child with down syndrome. The medical needs will likely come first and foremost, as children who have down syndrome are likely to have a heart condition. If this heart condition is detected early, it likely can be repaired while your child is still an infant. However, it will still be important to monitor over the years, if only to make sure that your child is growing accordingly and that their heart is not under too much stress.
Taking the time to learn about down syndrome and ask the down syndrome questions like what is down syndrome will also be important for your child’s educational growth. Knowing what common milestones for children with down syndrome will be essential for parenting a child with down syndrome, as these milestones will be quite different than they will be for a typical child. However, this does not mean that children and adults with down syndrome are not capable – because they absolutely are. But meeting them at how they learn will be hugely beneficial to child, parents, and even educators alike. Down syndrome questions are important, and asking these down syndrome questions can be hard, but all the more worthwhile for it.
Who should you ask down syndrome questions? For starters, your doctor will have many answers to down syndrome questions as they come up. Medical specialists can also answer many down syndrome questions, as can a great many educators.
