Experts have dispelled myths about Down syndrome

Worldwide, March 21 marks the Day of People with Down Syndrome, a genetic condition that occurs in about one in 700 newborns. Despite the high level of scholarship, there are still many persistent myths around it. This was reported to Izvestia on March 21 by experts from the Naked Hearts Foundation, pediatric neurologist Svyatoslav Dobvnya and clinical psychologist Tatiana Morozova.

"Down syndrome is a congenital and incurable chromosomal disorder: a person has an additional copy of chromosome 21," the experts emphasized.

Experts noted that the widespread opinion about the relationship of the syndrome with the lifestyle of parents is not supported by research. A child with this condition can be born in any family, and the only proven risk factor is the age of the mother over 35 years old. However, most children with Down syndrome are born to women younger than this age.

Separately, experts drew attention to the stereotype of the "sameness" of people with the syndrome. According to them, they are just as different in character and interests as everyone else, and experience a wide range of emotions. Moreover, teenagers with Down syndrome may experience depression even more often than their peers.

The myth of low life expectancy is also outdated. If in the middle of the last century it was about 10 years, today it can exceed 60 years with access to medical care and support. A significant role in this was played by changes in approaches to parenting and care — the abandonment of the practice of isolation in institutions and the development of family support.

Experts stressed that many of the difficulties faced by families are not related to the syndrome itself, but to a lack of available services and barriers in society. At the same time, studies show that the divorce rate in families where children with Down syndrome grow up is below average.

Modern approaches to education and social integration allow people with Down syndrome to study, work, and lead independent lives. With the support of specialists and family, they learn communication skills, including using alternative communication methods if speech develops more slowly.

Experts also refuted the idea of aggressiveness: difficulties in behavior are more often associated with difficulties in expressing thoughts, rather than with character traits. At the same time, family life and inclusive education contribute to the development of social skills and adaptation.

In addition, according to experts, people with Down syndrome are able to build personal relationships and create families.

"Modern research shows that up to 50% of women with Down syndrome are able to have children. At the same time, the probability of having a child with Down syndrome in such cases is increased," they explained, noting that it is important for them to receive affordable education and support, as they remain a vulnerable group.

The experts also stressed that modern scientific evidence allows us to consider Down syndrome not as a limitation, but as a feature in which the quality of life largely depends on the level of medical care, family support and social attitudes.

On March 6, Denis Rebrikov, a molecular biologist, geneticist, Doctor of Biological Sciences, Professor of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Vice—rector for Research at Pirogov University, said that the risk of having a child with a hereditary genetic disease is about 1%, which is higher than the probability of getting into a car accident within a year. In closed ethnic or religious groups, where marriages take place within the community, the probability of matching mutations is even higher.

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