Friday, September 18, 2009

Children with Down Syndrome

Down Syndrome - a hereditary disease, trisomy of 21st chromosome (these chromosomes is three instead of two). Chromosomes are present in every cell of the body and contain a set of genes. Patient with Down syndrome are born with an extra chromosome.

The disease manifests many symptoms. These include specific facial features, delayed physical and mental development, problems with eyesight and hearing, heart pathologies. Severity of these symptoms in different people is very different. Some have raised serious problems, while others - they are less pronounced.

Down syndrome affects one out of 800 infants. This is one of the most common congenital diseases.

What Causes
The anomaly occurs at the moment of conception, during cell division. What it is called, is unknown. Down's syndrome child is not related to the behavior of the mother during pregnancy. We only know that women over age 35 give birth to a sick baby's risk increases. However, most children with Down syndrome (80%) born to mothers younger than 35 years.

To date, how to prevent the disease does not exist. Perhaps only by means of tests, even during pregnancy, to identify the risk or the presence of Down syndrome in the fetus.

Symptoms
Symptoms of Down Syndrome can be expressed in very different degrees. However, several features in common, usually found in all patients. These include:

* Flat face
* Slanted eyes
* Short neck
* Irregularly shaped ears
* A deep furrow in the center of the palm
* Thick tongue
* Hypotonia of muscles and weak joints
* Eyes with mottled iris
* Truncated hands and feet

Often Down syndrome in patients with mild or moderate degree of suffering mental retardation.

On the basis of outward signs of the doctor at birth may put a child diagnosed. Then the diagnosis is confirmed by genetic tests.

Future of the patient with Down syndrome
Development of children with Down syndrome is delayed. They are slower growing and shorter than peers. Can develop and co-morbidities:

* Heart defects
* Problems with vision and hearing
* Weakened immunity (susceptibility to infectious diseases)
* Problems with the bowel
* Problems with the thyroid
* Obesity
* Leukemia
* Early dementia

How to help the patient?
A child with Down syndrome can certainly help - to develop his abilities and give a chance to live a long happy life. First of all, you need to get an early start to treatment. An important component of it are special exercises for the development of speech, motor skills, and abilities. Talk to your doctor or psychologist. In some regions, there are special centers for teaching children with Down syndrome.
Rx New Jersey

Little victim of passive smoking

Passive smoking increases the risk of many diseases in children. Suffice it to mention birth defects, ear infections, respiratory diseases, asthma and sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). A growing body vulnerable to the influence of harmful chemical substances contained in smoke.

U.S. doctors believe that in the U.S. respiratory tract infections caused by passive smoking, are the cause of 7,5 - 15 thousand hospitalizations per year. Passive smoking also aggravates asthma symptoms, including causing more frequent attacks. It affects between 200 thousand to 1 million children a year.

The problem is that there is no harmless amount of smoke. To ensure the safety of the child in the house should not have to smoke.

How to create smoke-free environment for the child

That's what doctors recommend:

* Do not smoke at home and in the car. Do not allow others to do so.
* Ask others not to smoke near your baby.
* Until you quit, do it on the street. Even if you open the window or go into another room for a child that is not enough.
* Teach your child to stay away from smokers and smoke.
* Make sure that the school (or other institution where the child spends time) do not smoke.
Rx Tennessee

Sleep with the child: is it good?

When Vanya just born, Mama Lena was not going to take him to his bed. Returning from the hospital, she was putting her son in the cradle and includes Baby Monitor at full volume to hear it posapyvanie in a dream. Take her son to her husband suggested that Lena, who said that since they will all sleep better.

Studies show that nearly half of parents sleeping with their children at least part of the night. Some of this is pushing desperate desire to sleep. Employed mothers through the sharing of sleep may be a little more time to stay near the child.

Before you make your choice, should consider the risks and discuss this issue with your partner. Some couples take the child to bed in the second half of the night to have time to spend with each other alone.

Pluses

When a child is sleeping beside the mother feels calmer. Joint sleep also contributes to prolonged breastfeeding. At three o'clock in the morning much easier to feed the baby when he is near. To do this, do not even have to fully wake up. Some children are breast instinctively, without even starting to cry.

Risks

Parents may inadvertently crush the child, turning in bed. The large pillow is too soft a mattress filled with water or a child can suffocate.

While not fully understood, does sleeping together on the probability of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). Some studies have shown that children who are breastfed and sleeping with their parents, subject to this risk to a lesser extent.

Child in the same bed with adults? Remember the precautions:

* Give up alcohol, drugs and drugs that cause drowsiness. Even the widely used pain relievers and antihistamines can make sleep more deeply and create a danger to the child.
* Check the bed and bedding. The mattress should not be too soft. Child should not be put next to a pillow or folded blankets wide.
* Do not coddle the child. In the adult bed warmer than in the crib. The child does not need a multi-layered clothing or pajamas. They can cause overheating, which increase the risk of SIDS.
* Lay the child on her back. In the crib, this posture is also very safe.
* The beds should not be voids, in which a child may fail. The mattress should fit snugly inside the headrest and sides.
* Remove the jewelry at night, do not wear clothes with strings, it can lead to suffocation.
* Never put your baby to bed with my brothers and sisters, and do not let the nurse to sleep with him. They do not feel so good baby, as parents.
* Be especially careful if you are overweight. Because of the increased load mattress can strongly bend, and this will lead to crushing of the child.
* Do not sleep with your child on the sofa. This increases the risk.

If you want to be closer to the child, but to sleep with him in the same bed does not seem right to you, just slide the crib close to her.
Rx California

Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS)

The term "sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) understand the sudden unexplained death of a child under 1 year. SIDS is sometimes called the "death in the cradle. However, it is associated only with the fact that most children in this age are in the cradles themselves cribs to SIDS are not related.

Risk Groups

* Sudden death most often are children aged from 2 to 4 months.
* In children Caucasian SIDS is less common in children than blacks.
* SIDS happens more often in boys than in girls.
* The risk of SIDS increases maternal smoking during pregnancy and child inhaling smoke after birth.
* The risk is more pronounced for the first children of mothers under 20 years.
* If the mother was not observed by a doctor during pregnancy or later rose to records.
* Preterm and low birthweight children.

Causes SIDS

The causes of SIDS are unknown, and research in this direction are continuing. Scientists studying the nervous system, brain, heart, respiratory system, biochemical balance in the body, autopsy data and the impact of the environment. Rather, the development of SIDS affects a combination of factors.

In some cases, found that SIDS cases developed in children with congenital pathology of the brain that has arisen under the influence of harmful substances or as a result of fetal hypoxia.

In newborns with anomalies greater the risk of oxygen starvation, overheating and infectious diseases, which, in turn, may cause SIDS. Version of the infectious nature of the syndrome accounts for the fact that the majority of sudden infant deaths occur during the cold season, when the most common respiratory and enterovirus infections.

Is it possible to prevent SIDS?

Not yet. However, some measures help reduce the risk of SIDS. Here's what you can to make this:

* Give up smoking. If a woman smoked during pregnancy, the risk of SIDS in a child increases by 3 times. When passive smoking increases the risk of sudden death in 2 times.
* Observe the doctor during pregnancy. Nutrition, smoking cessation and alcohol, and early production on account of pregnancy helps to prevent disease, increase the risk of SIDS.
* Put your baby to sleep on their backs. According to research in countries where children are placed to sleep on their backs, SIDS cases recorded in 2 times less than in countries where children are placed to sleep on his stomach. Sleep on your side is also less risk compared to sleeping on his stomach. Sleep on your back is the best provision for children from 1 month to 1 year. If the child is sleeping on his side, it is desirable to advance forward arm underneath. This will reduce the likelihood that the child will turn over in his sleep on your stomach.
* Children's mattress should be tight. Not recommended to use soft mattresses, sofas, mattresses, water and other soft surfaces.
* Remove from baby crib all soft and fluffy things (fluffy pillows, blankets, soft toys, etc.). They increase the risk of suffocation.
* Make sure your child's face during sleep in public. Quilt or blanket should not fall on him. It is recommended to shelter the child only to his chest. The curtain should be tucked under the mattress.
* Do not overheat baby. During sleep in the room should be warm but not hot. The temperature of the child should be comfortable for an adult. Can lead to overheating of the use of multi-layer blankets and bedspreads. Overheating increases the likelihood of SIDS in children suffering from colds or infectious disease. Possible symptoms of overheating: sweating, damp hair, rash, rapid breathing, anxiety, and sometimes - the temperature increase.
* If possible, breast-feeding. Shown that children who are on feeding tubes, more prone to SIDS. Breast milk contains antibodies that protect the child from certain infectious, respiratory and gastro-intestinal diseases.
* Be sure to regularly visit a pediatrician and timely make your baby vaccinated.

Should I take the child to bed?

Many pediatric organizations do not recommend sleeping with your child because of the increased risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).

Adults in alcohol or drug intoxication could crush a baby. Another risk factor - sleeping on soft sofas and other soft surfaces. The most safe for the young child is the cradle.

At the same time, some doctors have a positive attitude to co-sleep with children. It allows you to extend breastfeeding and contributes to the convergence of the mother and child. However, there is no scientific evidence that while the risk of SIDS decreases.

Choosing sleeping together for the period of breast-feeding should observe the same precautions as when device sleeping child in a separate bed. The child is better to sleep on their backs. Not recommended to use soft pillows and blankets. We must also make sure that the child does not fall into the gap between the mattress and bed frame, wall or other furniture.

Decision on joint sleep desirable to discuss with the pediatrician.
Rx Alabama