Parents Ed and Ashley are seeking my professional opinion about the genetic disorder Down syndrome. Ed and Ashley, both 39 years of age, have a two-year-old son named Luke who has Down syndrome. Ashley is currently pregnant with the couple’s second child. Ed and Ashley have questions about the genetic components of Down Syndrome, life for those with this genetic disorder and available testing options for Down Syndrome. I will discuss the latest medical information on Down syndrome with the couple, as well as address their questions. First, I would like to give a little background information on Down syndrome. Down syndrome is a chromosomal condition in which a person has a full or partial extra copy of chromosome 21. Therefore, most babies born with Down syndrome have 47 chromosomes rather than the usual 46 chromosomes. All babies born with Down Syndrome have extra chromosomal material which affects how the baby’s brain and body develop (“Facts about…”). A majority of individuals with Down syndrome have a mild to moderately low range of intelligence with delayed speech. Also, there are more than 50 physical features associated with Down syndrome, however, it is rare for one …show more content…
This means that 1 in every 700 babies is born with Down syndrome (“Down Syndrome”). Parents of all ages have children with Down syndrome and the source of the extra chromosome can originate from the father or mother. However, it has been discovered that older women have a higher chance of having a baby with Down syndrome. At 35 years of age, a mother has a 1 in 350 chance of having a baby with Down syndrome. The chance continues to increase steadily to about 1 in 100 by age 40 (“What is…”). It is important for couples to be informed of the higher risk of conditions, like chromosomal abnormalities, associated with pregnancy later in