Is there any early signs that appear on the newborn indicate it’s down syndrom?

👋 Me and my 2 brothers .. We have shown people how to live with Down Syndrome ! This was particularly important to us because we noticed that even friends and acquaintances sometimes don't really know much about the status of people with disabilities in our society and because the media so often has a deficit-oriented view of people with Down syndrome . In terms of reporting, it has really gotten better in the last 5 years, but even today we sometimes get uncomfortable goosebumps because, for example, in a report about an example person we read phrases like "XY suffers from Down syndrome". . Unfortunately, since everyday lives of people with and without disabilities often do not overlap in real life and therefore many people have no points of contact with disabled people at all.

I gave birth to a son a few weeks ago who was unexpectedly diagnosed with Down syndrome. We were completely unprepared for this diagnosis and are considering adoption as an option. The thought of raising a child with special needs and caring for an adult with special needs for the rest of our lives is daunting and not something we are confident we can handle emotionally. My partner and I have both had our struggles with mental health in the past. We have 2 other children to consider as well. Advise me people.. I'm really thinking of adoption

Your baby girl has a 98% chance of having Down syndrome.” I can still remember the phone call from our obstetrician’s office as if it was yesterday. I felt shock, fear, sadness, and disappointment. Even though I was registered nurse and my husband is a physician, we didn’t know much about Down syndrome, other than some of the medical conditions that can accompany it, and we didn’t personally know anybody with Down syndrome. Two weeks later, we received some devastating news: our baby girl also had a life-threatening condition called Hydrops, and she was only given a 5 to 10% chance of being born and surviving. Doctors offered to terminate her, but we knew we would have her no matter what. It was an extremely emotional and difficult time. Every two weeks we went into the high-risk doctor for an ultrasound. The purpose of the ultrasound was to see if our baby girl‘s heart had stopped beating yet. We named our daughter in the womb - Arabella. It means yielding in prayer. We had countless people praying for her, and at around 20 weeks a miracle happened- the hydrops went away completely! Arabella was born right on time and was overall healthy. From the moment I held her, I fell completely in love, and felt nothing but peace. The sadness and fear was completely gone. From that day on, I considered my daughter one of the greatest blessings I have ever received, and every single day with her truly is a gift.

Day 2 of Down Syndrome Awareness Month: “Variations” Did you know there 3 different types of Down syndrome? Evie has the most common form - trisomy 21. This means that every single cell in her body has an extra 21st chromosome (3 copies instead of 2) 🤩 The other two types of Down syndrome are translocation and mosaic DS. Translocation DS - this occurs when there are 3 copies of the 21st chromosome but instead of being separate, the extra 21st chromosome is attached to another chromosome! About 3-4% of people with DS will have this type. It can be hereditary but is often sporadic. The least common form of DS (about 2%) is known as mosaic DS. This is where some, but not all, of the cells in the body have a third copy of the 21st chromosome. Genetic testing (blood test or prenatal testing like amniocentesis) is the only way to find out what type of DS someone has 🧬

How does it feel to have a kid with Down's syndrome?

When I’m not behind the camera, you can find me with my favorite little guy, my son Asher. Asher is 2.5 years old and has had many challenges to overcome. We as parents try hard to give him the best life. We take him on little adventures and day trips, slowly introducing him to the world, anything to make him happy. One of the most rewarding parts of parenthood is watching him experience it all, and seeing him smile is the best feeling there is. For those who don’t already know, Asher has Down Syndrome. There are a lot of other medical issues that have come with that diagnosis, one in particular being congenital heart disease. As he’s gotten older, Asher’s heart has healed and gotten stronger in some ways, but we’ve also known about a particular vascular malformation that needs to be addressed. Well, now the time has come and on 7/19 Asher will have cardiac surgery by one of the best pediatric cardiac surgeons in the country. This will be a very serious, major operation. I will want some time to prepare before 7/19, as well as adequate time to help him recover the weeks following surgery. I also will need to isolate as much as possible to prevent him from getting any illness, especially COVID.

Everybody wants to reach the peak, but there is no growth on the top of a mountain. It is in the valley that we slog through, the lush grass and rich soil, learning and becoming what enables us to summit life’s next peak.” – Andy Andrews. On the eve of your birthday, I can’t help but reminisce on what this past year has been like. A whirlwind of emotions to say the least. I have learned more in this past year than I have in 36 years. My biggest lesson was (and still is)to learn to enjoy the view while we climb the many mountains in our journey ahead of us. In society today, at such a tender age , we are taught and programmed to achieve goals. And although I’m not against that at all, we were rarely taught to stop, learn and appreciate the way to those achievements. Life isn’t only about getting to the summit. It’s about everything on the way there. This quote speaks so much to me. I forgot so many times this year to stop and breath and enjoy precious moments with you. You remind me every day of how important it is to live in the moment. We’ve worked countless hours on helping you reach milestones, stressed about when and how that we forget that little laugh or smile or cuddle along the way. So tonight instead of letting my anxiety or ptsd get the best of me, I close my eyes and remember my way up with you