|  A
karyotype is a display of the chromosomes within a single
cell. The chromosomes are stained with dyes to accentuate
differences between them. In this Down syndrome karyotype,
the chromosomes have been arranged in their pairs. Note the
extra copy of chromosome 21.
Down syndrome is a chromosomal disorder that occurs in approximately
1 in 700 births in Canada. The likelihood of having a baby
with Down syndrome increases significantly with age. For example,
between 20 and 24 years of age, the chance of conceiving a
child with Down syndrome is 1 in 1450, while at age 45, this
probability increases to 1 in 32. Statistics show that 80
per cent of babies with Down syndrome are born to mothers
under the age of 35 years, as these are the prime child-bearing
years. It is important to emphasize that nothing a mother
does or does not do during pregnancy could cause Down syndrome.
Living with Down Syndrome
"I hate wearing glasses. I don't like having
to see so many doctors or having operations. I don't
like it when people stare at me: it makes me feel strange."
Melanie Manion
 People
with Down syndrome face certain health challenges. From a
very young age, Melanie has had to make numerous visits to
doctors. She suffers from hypothyroidism, which means that
her thyroid gland does not produce enough hormones, and this
can lead to fatigue, weakness and weight problems. A blood
test has to be carried out annually to monitor her hormone
levels. Other health complications related to Down syndrome
are congenital heart malformations, hearing loss and vision
problems. Melanie, for example, was fitted with her first
pair of glasses at the age of nine months.
"People with Down syndrome can do a lot of things,
almost everything that other people can do. We learn more
slowly, but we can learn." Melanie
Manion
In terms of learning, people with Down syndrome have intellectual
delays that vary from one individual to the next, and so they
all learn in a different fashion. When Melanie was born, several
people told her parents that she may never learn to read
or write but, today, she loves to do both. Melanie's
parents have been heavily involved in her education since
her early childhood.  They
enrolled her in infant stimulation classes and, later, insisted
that she be integrated into a mainstream school, in the belief
that contact with children of her own age would benefit her.
Melanie is now in high school. She has a boyfriend and would
eventually like to get married.
"My family has always included me in all their activities
and I try to do all the things that people my age usually
do. But the most important thing I can do is just be myself
and show everyone what I can do, even though I am a person
with Down syndrome... And remember, the next time you
see a person with Down syndrome, don't be shy...
say hi!" Melanie Manion
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