Face stigma and manage Down Syndrome today

Monday is World Down Syndrome Day, dedicated to promoting awareness and support for people living with the disorder across the world.

Children born with the condition face constant discrimination by society, either because of ignorance or due to entrenched cultural beliefs.

Anyone can give birth to a baby with Down Syndrome. The disorder, which affects up to 3.7 million people living in the world today, is caused by the presence of an extra chromosome 21 in either a sperm or egg cell. This is the smallest of chromosomes in humans and contains an estimated 225 genes.

Down Syndrome affects one in every 600 babies born worldwide.

In the more developed countries where access to medical care is widespread, Down Syndrome is identified at birth.

However, in Kenya and most African countries most births occur at home and so the condition often goes unnoticed until much later.

Given the limited information on the disorder, some parents go as far as hiding their children with Down Syndrome from the eyes of society.

The risk of giving birth to a child with the disorder increases with maternal age, although a baby with the condition can be born to a mother of any age.

Absence of cure

The Government needs to work with other organisations to increase awareness of the disorder, which is not a degenerative one, despite the absence of a cure or treatment.

Early interventions make a big difference in the quality of life for those diagnosed with the condition.

People with the disorder can still live long lives as long as they have access to health care. They learn and progress much more slowly than those without it and need daily assistance and varied activities.

They also face difficulties with speech because it lags behind their non-verbal communication abilities.