Down's Syndrome - Symptoms

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Photo by: Gino Santa Maria

Babies with Down's syndrome can often be diagnosed at birth because of some common physical characteristics. For example, they tend to be unusually quiet, less responsive, and weak. Other physical signs include:

• Flat face
• Small head
• Flat bridge of the nose
• Smaller than normal, low-set nose
• Small mouth, causing the tongue to stick out and look unusually large
• Upward slanting eyes
• Extra folds of skin at the inside corner of each eye
• Rounded cheeks
• Small, misshapened ears
• Small, wide hands
• A deep crease across the center of each palm
• A malformed fifth finger
• A wide space between the big and second toes
• Unusual creases on the soles of the feet
• Overly-flexible joints (as in people who are double-jointed)
• Shorter than normal height

Other physical defects may accompany Down's syndrome. About 30 to 50 percent of children with the disorder have heart problems. These defects often reduce the flow of blood through the body.

Gastrointestinal (digestive) tract disorders affect about 5 to 7 percent of all children with Down's syndrome. The most common problem among babies is an obstruction (narrowing or closing) of the upper part of the intestine, where digestion takes place. This obstruction can interrupt the digestion of food, and a baby may vomit after eating. As a result, the baby has trouble gaining weight appropriately.

Other medical conditions that may accompany Down's syndrome include an increased risk for infections, especially ear infections (see earache entry) and pneumonia (see pneumonia entry); certain kidney disorders; thyroid disease; hearing loss (see hearing loss entry); vision problems (see vision disorders entry); and a greatly increased risk for leukemia (see leukemia entry).

Physical development overall takes place at a slower rate in babies with Down's syndrome than in normal babies. Down's babies tend to have weaker muscles, so they have more difficulty learning to sit up, crawl, and walk. Mild to moderate mental retardation is also common in Down's children. The range of IQs (a measure of intelligence) of Down's children varies widely. Some have normal intelligence, while others have severe mental retardation. Most fall within a range sometimes called the trainable range. That means that individuals can be taught to care for themselves and to function normally in social settings and even have simple jobs.

As people with Down's syndrome age, they face an increased risk for Alzheimer's disease (see alzheimer's disease entry). The risk of developing Alzheimer's disease in the general population is about 6 in 100. Among people with Down's syndrome, the risk is 25 in 100. Aging also increases the risk of other conditions for people with Down's syndrome, including cataracts (see cataracts entry), thyroid problems, diabetes (see diabetes mellitus entry), and seizure disorders (see epilepsy entry).