Patient's question:
I am 5 and a half months pregnant. A few days ago, during a abdominal examination, my attending doctor told me that I have Down syndrome. Can the child still be kept? What are the risks? What are the dangers of Down syndrome?Doctor's answer:
Children with intellectual disabilities, language development delays, and behavioral disorders typically begin learning to speak between the ages of 4 and 6. Among them, 95% have speech defects: motor clumsiness, clumsy movements, coordination problems, and unsteady gait; growth and development disorders; distinctive facial features: wide-set eyes, slanted outer corners of the eyes, leathery inner layer, low-set ears, low nasal bridge, and wide tongues, among others. Approximately half of the children suffer from congenital heart disease. Additionally, due to their weakened immune function, they are prone to infectious diseases and leukemia. If they survive to adulthood, they typically begin showing symptoms of Alzheimer's disease after the age of 30.