Archive note: This text comes from the old archive of Nomika Epilekta and is preserved with care for historical and informational reading.

DOWN syndrome used to be called mongolism. It is a genetic disorder characterized by physical differences as well as intellectual disability. A child with DOWN syndrome has a total of 47 instead of 46 chromosomes. It is true that an older woman is more likely to give birth to a child with DOWN syndrome than a younger one. If a woman already has one child with DOWN syndrome, she is more likely to have another. Children with DOWN syndrome are usually pleasant, excessively affectionate, and are rarely disobedient or aggressive, and they do not have nervous crises or behavioral difficulties. There is no effective cure for DOWN syndrome. Diagnosis can be made by amniocentesis or another prenatal diagnosis.

The parents of a child with DOWN syndrome, and more generally of children with "special abilities", will go through a series of psychological processes in their effort to deal with the pain and anger that usually arise. Dr. Elizabeth Kubler-Ross has described five psychological stages through which a person "passes" when facing a traumatic experience that may be described as being as painful as death itself.

  1. The first stage, which she calls denial, is when the parents deny the painful event. For example, they do not discuss it, avoid facing the child's needs, or even abandon the problematic environment.
  2. In the second stage, the negative emotion of anger dominates the parents, with symptoms of aggression (sarcasm, irony) and obsessive thoughts. For example: why me? Why did this have to happen to me?
  3. In the third stage, the parents feel sadness, depression, and refusal to participate in everyday life.
  4. In the fourth stage, a complex mechanism is activated, where the parents begin to hope for an improvement, for a "miracle" that will solve the problem. At this stage, for example, they may pray and speak with God.
  5. In the final, fifth stage, the mechanism of acceptance is activated. The parents begin to accept the painful event of the birth of a "not normal" child.

The process of these five stages functions as a protective, defensive mechanism so that the person can overcome the traumatic event. It is not necessary for the person to pass through all five stages, since we often see someone leave one of them behind.

It is important to know that our subconscious creates these defense mechanisms in order to give the conscious part of ourselves the opportunity to overcome difficulties successfully. All stages are considered normal and vitally important for dealing with the traumatic incident.

For many years specialists believed that the mother's age, over 35 for the first pregnancy, is an important factor in avoiding this specific syndrome.

For early diagnosis with the aim of prevention, and while the mother is around the sixth month of pregnancy, doctors recommend amniocentesis, so that it may be ascertained and the mother may be given the option of terminating the pregnancy.

Research in recent years also shows that the very young age of the mother is also a high-risk factor. The woman's low level of estrogens, which are involved in a series of complex biochemical mechanisms, may ultimately cause trisomy in the 21st pair of chromosomes. Research from the 1980s referred to the possible involvement of the mother's genetic code, while the type of the father's sperm and his own age are also responsible for 25% of the occurrence of the syndrome in the child.

If this syndrome has not been diagnosed in time, that is preventively, then the parents will have to face their child who will have "special abilities".

We must always remember that every child develops in his or her own particular and unique way and rhythm.

All children with DOWN syndrome can be educated and can increase their abilities in the best possible way. Research has shown that with consistency, patience, love, and education, these children can increase their intelligence level by 6-10 points. The special school for the child, and guidance and methodical handling of problems by the specialist for the parents, will improve the quality of life of the child and the family. The progress of the child with DOWN syndrome will depend on the degree of intellectual disability in combination with the degree of education.

It is important to remember that the perception we have of children with "special abilities" will determine, to a large extent, their development as well.

World Down Syndrome Day is March 21

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