31 for 21 Day 1

A basic lesson.

Down Syndrome was first described in 1866 by John Down, hence the name Down Syndrome. There is nothing "down" about it though. It was not until 1959 that the disorder was associated with the 21st chromosome, thus the name Trisomy 21.

Did you know that there is more than one type of Down Syndrome?

There is Trisomy 21 that occurs when all 21st chromosomes are triplicated. This happens in more than 95% of cases. (88% of the time from the egg and 9% of the time from the sperm)

There is Mosaic Down Syndrome which accounts for 1%-2% of children born with DS. This happens when only some of the 21st chromosomes are triplicated.

There is Robertsonian Translocation. This can be inherited and happens in 2%-3% of births. With this type of Down Syndrome, the extra chromosome attaches to another chromosome besides the 21st. (typically the 14th).

In a room full of 100 children with Down Syndrome, the children would all look similar and it would be hard to distinguish which type of Down Syndrome each child had. Just like a room full of 100 kids without Down Syndrome, each child would have his/her strengths and weaknesses. Each would carry similarities in features(personality, looks, talents, etc) to other family members.
Here is a picture of Sawyer as a newborn. Even then, he had features much like his Pop-Pop. As he has grown, he also shares many personality traits with his Pop. (some good, some not so good)