Screening Tests to Detect Down Syndrome during reproduction

Rapid urbanization and spread in education in women have one hand created a lot of advance in the society but in its wake some unwanted conditions have also surfaced. The major convert has come upon the women of society who have progressed in leaps and bounds. This has increased the age for marriage in most of the urban household. Today getting married at 30 and having the first child after 35 is a coarse phenomenon. Though it has lot of advantages, one major disadvantage that has been seen, is to give birth to children with some or other bodily or mental disability.

Although it doesn't happen all the time and to everybody yet the risk does increase...
The most coarse abnormality seen in late belief is Down Syndrome... It is the most coarse clinical cause of mental retardation in the world. It occurs once in every 1,500-2,000 births when the mother's age is below 25; one in every 400 births when the mother's age is over 35; once in every 40 births when the mother's age is over 45. A mother with a child with Down syndrome has a one-in-25 opportunity of recurrence.

Here I'll try to tell a tiny about the Syndrome and the tests that are ready to detect Down Syndrome during fertilization only.

The term Down syndrome is taken from the name of the English physician, Dr. John Langdon Down, who is credited with first describing the health in 1866.The individuals with Down syndrome possess further genetic material in their cells, ordinarily an extra chromosome
Some of the bodily characteristics observed in persons with Down syndrome include the following:

o The back of the head is often flattened,
o The eyelids may be slightly slanted,
o Small skin folds at the inner corners of the eyes may be present,
o The nasal bridge is slightly depressed, and the nose and ears are ordinarily somewhat smaller.
o In the newborn there is often an excess of skin at the back of the neck.
o The hands and feet are small and the fingerprints are often different from normal children.
o Their muscle compel and tone are ordinarily reduced.
o About one-third of children with Down syndrome have congenital heart disease.
Affect of Down Syndrome:
o All areas of amelioration may be delayed in a child with Down syndrome.
o Poor muscle tone influences gross and fine motor amelioration but this can be improved with bodily therapy
o language amelioration delays due to muscle problems which can be improved by language/speech therapy
o Since mental retardation is very common, higher integrative abilities such as the capability to think abstractly and to form concepts are likely to be affected.

With accepted training, they can derive employment, often in the competing job market, especially straight through supported work programs. Down syndrome affects kids' capability to learn in different ways, but most have mild to moderate intellectual impairment. Kids with Down Syndrome can and do learn, and are capable of developing skills throughout their lives. They plainly reach goals at a different pace - which is why it's important not to correlate a child with Ds against typically developing siblings or even other children with the condition.

Prenatal Screening and Diagnosis

It is suggested that if you are above 33 years of age at the time of your first pregnancy, do get these tests done to be free from any type of anxiety...

Two types of prenatal tests are used to detect Down syndrome in a fetus: screening tests and diagnostic tests. Screening tests assessment the risk that a fetus has Down Syndrome; diagnostic tests can tell whether the fetus de facto has the condition.
Screening tests include:

o Nuchal translucency testing. This test, performed in the middle of 11 and 14 weeks of pregnancy,
o The triple screen or quadruple screen (also called the multiple ticket tests). These tests are typically offered in the middle of 15 and 18 weeks of pregnancy.
o Integrated screen. This compares the blood test reports of first and second trimester.
o A genetic ultrasound. A detailed ultrasound is often performed at 18 to 20 weeks in conjunction with the blood tests, and it checks the fetus for some of the bodily traits abnormalities linked with Down syndrome.
Diagnostic tests include:
o Chorionic villus sampling (Cvs). The benefit of this test is that it can be performed during the first trimester, in the middle of 8 and 12 weeks. It carries some extra risk of miscarriage.
o Amniocentesis. This test, performed in the middle of 15 and 20 weeks of pregnancy, involves the extraction of a small number of amniotic fluid straight through a needle inserted in the abdomen. The cells can then be analyzed for the proximity of chromosomal abnormalities. Amniocentesis carries a small risk of complications, such as pre-term labor and miscarriage.
o Percutaneous umbilical blood sampling (Pubs). ordinarily performed after 20 weeks, this test uses a needle to retrieve a small sample of blood from the umbilical cord. It carries risks similar to those linked with amniocentesis.

Although most of the parents after knowing that the fetus is suffering with Down syndrome go for abortion, I feel it's de facto the parents selection to or not to go for curative Termination of Pregnancy. Though it might cause them a tiny more effort to bring up their differently able child, it may be a real joy for them to see the kid growing up. These kids are any time more lovable and loving. They remain innocent all their life and They Do Grow Up As Any normal Child May Be A tiny Late.

So if you are a proud parent of a child suffering from Down Syndrome, Please don't take it as a curse but take it as a blessing from God!!! You do have a child to love and care rather than without a kid.