What’s it Like to Have a Child with Down Syndrome?
If you would have asked me that question 27 months ago, I would have said HUH? Down syndrome was a non-issue for us. We really had no idea what it was, or what it meant, or how it would change our lives until Madison was born.
Online searches weren’t much help, either—I wanted true life stories. How did these people live? How did parents of these kids handle life? What would my daughter be like? Was there a cure? What was Trisomy?
We had so much to learn…
We learned about cognitive and developmental delay. We learned that the chances for heart and thyroid problems, leukemia, and Alzheimer’s disease are higher in kids like my daughter. We were really frightened for Madison, and for us.
But this wasn’t good enough. I wanted more!
I wanted to really know what people with DS do, how they think, and how they interact with others. Do they have any kind of quality of life? Do parents of these children have a life—or are they forever burdened with a child who never grows up?
I wanted to know all this, and so much more.
If you have a baby with Down syndrome (or just want to know more), welcome! DS affects more than 350,000 families in the United States alone. There are many of us parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, siblings, and just plain family and friends around.
You are not alone!
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Some Down syndrome facts -- the Real Deal What’s it REALLY like for families with a special needs child? Get the Down syndrome facts and find out why you should be PROUD to be the parent of a person with DS.
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Baby Has Congenital Heart Defects, Down Syndrome - Surgery Pictures Here are Madison’s surgery pictures when her congenital heart defects were repaired. WARNING: EXTREMELY GRAPHIC! AV canal defect is very common in Down syndrome, but can be repaired with surgery.
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The Extra Gene, a Free Monthly E-Zine The Extra Gene is a free monthly e-zine giving you the latest on Down syndrome
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A Disability Myth Exposed-Driving with Down Syndrome is Happening Today As little as 25 years ago, this young man with Down syndrome would have been labeled with his disability and never given the chance to succeed. Today, he drives his own car.
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What do treadmills have to do with helping your baby with Down syndrome to walk? An excellent question— treadmills have a lot to do with helping your baby with Down syndrome to walk, it turns out. Not only to walk, but to walk sooner—a critical factor in development.
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Although Scary, Leukemia is Pretty Rare, Even in Children with Down Syndrome It’s been a documented fact for decades that children with Down syndrome have a 10-30% higher incidence of developing leukemia then typical children.
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The Down Syndrome Effects Are Unexpected The Down syndrome effects on YOU--having a baby with Down syndrome will change you as a person. It will make you a happier human being, with a higher capacity for love.
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Most Hearing Loss in Children with Down Syndrome is Conductive Loss I’ll admit, I didn’t really “get” the whole ear and hearing loss thing at first, so let me attempt to explain it to you in a simple way.
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Baby Sign Language Rocks! Baby sign language is a real benefit when you are somewhere like church when your kids need to keep quiet. You can silently tell the little buggers to stop wiggling.
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Talks About Down Syndrome Sex, Dating, and Fun Down syndrome sex and sexuality is part of life. Meet a couple, one with DS, one with no disabilities at all. They share with us what attracted them to each other, and how they deal with mean people.
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It's Downs Syndrome in England--Not in USA If you live in England, you can say Downs syndrome and be right. If you are a loving parent or friend you will want to spread respect by the words you say.
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Mental Retardation is a Medical Term, Not a Slur We’ve all been guilty of it. We use those with mental retardation as our scapegoats because they are the weakest and most vulnerable. “That’s so retarded”.
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Mentally Challenged? Talk to Grumpy. Was he mentally challenged? Think about it—he’s smaller then his brothers, evidenced by the clothing that is too big for him.
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The Amniocentesis Gives You Three Options If after the amniocentesis diagnosis you feel you cannot handle having a baby with Down syndrome, there is another option.
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Contact Me What would you like to say? Contact Me. Share stories and information.
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Symptoms of Down Syndrome Can Be Addressed Many symptoms of Down syndrome can be addressed through different therapies and medical surgical techniques. These activities help the person with Down syndrome enormously with their quality of life.
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The Cures for Down Syndrome...Are There Any? Scientists used to believe Down syndrome was incurable because it was too complex to understand. Cures for Down syndrome seemed impossible. Now scientists have identified…
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Down Syndrome Symptoms -A List to Scare the Pants Off You This is a list of common Down syndrome symptoms. It’s going to scare the pants off you. Please keep in mind as you are going through this list that--
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Baby’s Sensitive Skin Care is a Biggie in Our House She needs sensitive skin care. Her back and arms can look as if she has small scratch marks on them. The key is to have products on hand to soothe the skin. This is what we do to prevent problems…
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Down Syndrome Characteristics Can Be Cute Besides being cute and loveable, some Down syndrome characteristics are upward slanting eyes and a small mouth.
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Privacy Policy of www.down-syndrome-facts-and-fiction.com Our privacy policy
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Demand for Down Syndrome Adoption is Surprisingly High Did you know there are over 200 families who are paper-ready and want a Down syndrome adoption? Many of these families are experienced with special needs already.
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