7 Causes of Down Syndrome and Risk Factors, Also Recognize the Symptoms

Kapanlagi.com - Down Syndrome is a disorder that occurs in the physical and affects psychological due to genetic factors with various typical symptoms. The cause of Down Syndrome can occur in anyone and is experienced from birth. This condition causes developmental disorders in a child until adulthood.

Someone with Down Syndrome has abnormalities in chromosome 21 that are not normal as usual. For example, there can be extra, full, or even partial copies of chromosome 21. According to healthline.com, normally, each cell receives 23 pairs of chromosomes with a total of 46 chromosomes. These chromosomes are formed from the mother and father.

This condition can cause abnormalities in a child from birth. A child with Down Syndrome can experience developmental disorders such as learning disabilities, physical abnormalities, or health problems. The cause of Down syndrome can be triggered by various factors experienced by prospective mothers during pregnancy.

There are several risk factors that can increase the occurrence of Down syndrome in children and disrupt their development. The causes of Down syndrome are summarized below. Here is a summary from kapanlagi.com of various sources related to the causes of Down syndrome and its risk factors, along with the symptoms that need to be known.

1. Experiencing Chromosome 21 Trisomy

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As discussed earlier, the first cause of Down syndrome can be caused by abnormal chromosomes. These abnormal chromosomes can occur in excess, full, or even only partially. One of the common ones is trisomy 21, which means having three chromosomes.

A number of Down syndrome cases can occur because of abnormalities in chromosome 21, which does not consist of two chromosomes but more than two, namely three chromosomes. According to mayoclinic.org, a person has three copies of chromosomes due to abnormal cell division during development between sperm and egg cells.

2. Mosaic Down Syndrome Occurs

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The next cause of Down syndrome is mosaic Down syndrome. This condition causes a person to have only some cells with an extra copy of chromosome 21. This can occur due to abnormal cell division after fertilization, as reported by mayoclinic.org. This type of mosaic Down syndrome is rare and uncommon. Additionally, some symptoms of mosaic Down syndrome are not as noticeable compared to the occurrence of Down syndrome trisomy 21.

3. Experiencing Translocation Down Syndrome

Another cause of Down syndrome is experiencing translocation Down syndrome. This occurs when a portion of chromosome 21 attaches to another chromosome during fertilization, either before or at the time of fertilization. According to mayoclinic.org, a child usually has two copies of chromosome 21, but they can also have additional genetic material from chromosome 21 attached to another chromosome. This condition is what causes Down syndrome to occur in a child.

4. Pregnancy at a Younger or Older Age

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The cause of Down syndrome can also occur when a woman becomes pregnant at a very young or even older age. The risk of a child having Down syndrome increases when a woman becomes pregnant after the age of 35.

As age increases, there is also a risk of improper chromosomal division in the egg cells. This condition can cause a child to be at risk of Down syndrome.

However, besides pregnancy at an older age, Down syndrome can also occur in women under 35 years old. According to ndss.org, nearly 80 percent of Down syndrome cases occur in women who give birth to children under 35 years old.

5. Genetics

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Genetic factors also have a significant contribution to the occurrence of down syndrome in a child. According to mayoclinic.org, someone with the genetic disorder down syndrome can pass it on to their offspring. Both the mother and father have the chance to pass on the genetic translocation of down syndrome to their child. According to merdeka.com, the risk of down syndrome inherited from the mother can occur around 10-15 percent, while the father has a risk of around 3 percent.

6. Lack of Folic Acid

According to merdeka.com, another cause of down syndrome can occur due to a lack of folic acid during pregnancy. Folic acid is known to be important for pregnant women as it prevents abnormalities in the baby after birth. In this case, a deficiency of folic acid in pregnant women is at risk of down syndrome in babies due to a decrease in body metabolism. It also affects epigenetic changes.

7. Smoking Habits During Pregnancy

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Other causes of Down syndrome can also occur due to smoking habits during pregnancy. As it is known, cigarettes contain substances that can cause health problems, including disrupting fetal development during pregnancy. This is because the substances or compounds in cigarettes can affect the formation of baby chromosomes in the womb. Therefore, pregnant women are advised to avoid smoking activities.

8. Symptoms of Down Syndrome

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After knowing a number of causes of Down syndrome, it is also important to recognize various symptoms of Down syndrome. The symptoms of Down syndrome can be recognized by several signs as follows.

- Outer corner of the eye pointing upward.

- Smaller size and shape of the ears.

- Cracked tongue.

- Small head size.

- Weak muscles.

- Palm of the hand only has one crease or line.

Those are the 7 causes of Down syndrome and their triggering factors along with the symptoms. Some cases of Down syndrome can be treated with therapy or physiotherapy.

(kpl/nlw)