World Down Syndrome Day (WDSD) is celebrated every year on March 21 in order to encourage the people who are battling with this syndrome and as well as to spread the awareness regarding the same. This year the World Down Syndrome Day is going to be celebrated on Thursday, 21 March 2019.
World Down Syndrome Day (Thursday) 21st March 2019
On this day, people with Down syndrome and also those who live and work with them all over the world organize the event where they take part in activities. The event is held in order to raise public awareness and create a single global voice for supporting and encouraging for the rights, inclusion and well-being of people with Down syndrome.
Vector illustration for World Down Syndrome Day on white background
What is Down syndrome?
Down syndrome (DS or DNS) is also known as trisomy 21, which is a genetic disorder caused by the incidence of all or portion of a third copy of chromosome 21. It is usually related with physical growth delays, minor to moderate intellectual disability as well as the characteristic facial features.
The average IQ of a young adult with Down syndrome is 50 which is equal to the mental aptitude of an 8 or 9 year-old child, but this can differ broadly.
Down syndrome causes many disabilities such as:
- Intellectual disability
- Physical growth delays
- Mental disabilities
- Heart defects
- Characteristic facial features
- Digestive problems such as blockage of intestines
- Hearing or vision issues
- Thyroid problems (specially, hypothyroidism, which affects around 15% of the down syndrome patients)
What are the causes of Down syndrome?
When a baby’s cells develop, at that process every single cell gets 23 pairs of chromosomes, which means a total of 46 chromosomes, half from the mother and half from the father. But what happen in people with Down syndrome that they have an extra chromosome that is a total of 47 chromosomes. Medical experts are not much certain about its occurrence.
Symptoms of Down syndrome
People with Down syndrome show some physical appearances such as:
- Small ears and head
- Compressed facial profile
- Short and chubby fingers
- Short hands
- Short neck which also seems rather flat with extra skin at the back
- Eyes slant upwards a bit and are almond shaped
- A gap between the big toe and the rest of the toes
The cognitive and behavioural symptoms include:
Slow learning
Difficulties with thinking
Poor decision making
Low attention span
Impulsive behaviour
Delayed language and speech development
Some of the related physical disorders that can affect people with Down syndrome are:
Gum diseases
Epilepsy
Vision loss
Hearing problems
Digestive issues
Heart defects
Celiac disease
Mental health and emotional problems
Why is it celebrated on March 21?
This is because the date signifies the uniqueness of triplication (one of a set of three identical objects) of the 21st chromosome which leads to Down Syndrome. Described in 1866, the genetic disorder was named after John Langdon Down
World Down Syndrome Day (WDSD) History
In the year 2011 on December, the General Assembly announced that 21 March is going to be the World Down Syndrome Day. The General Assembly decided, with then came into effect from 2012, to celebrate World Down Syndrome Day on 21 March annually, and calls all Member States, appropriate organizations of the United Nations system and other universal organizations, as well as civil society, together with non-governmental organizations and the private sector, to celebrate World Down Syndrome Day in an suitable way, in order to raise public awareness of Down syndrome.
