Fact #3

Having a baby with Down syndrome can happen to anyone. The cause of Down syndrome is unknown, but it has been found that women over age 35 have a slightly higher risk of having a baby with Down syndrome. However, the majority of babies with Down syndrome are born to mothers under 35 years old because of the high number of pregnancies in this age group.

As most of you are aware, women are born with a set number of eggs in their ovaries. Cell division in those eggs remains suspended in each, until shortly after ovulation. It is possible that as eggs age and remain suspended in their cell division for many years, something happens to cause the chromosomes in them to become sticky or to fail to separate properly. Research has supported the view that older eggs are more prone to errors in cell division with increasing maternal age.

Down Syndrome Awareness Month!

October is Down syndrome awareness month and because of this, I will be posting a Fact about Down syndrome everyday on Caydence's blog and my Facebook page. Since I am already a day late, I will have two Facts today :)

Fact #1: Babies with Down syndrome are born with low muscle tone. It usually affects all muscles of the body. Low tone can complicate all areas of development, especially gross motor skills such as rolling, sitting, standing, and walking. It takes them longer to develop the muscles in their body to accomplish these tasks. It also results in increased mobility between the joints.

So that is why Caydence is so flexible!

Caydence does not walk yet, but she is starting to stand with assistance and has started to walk along the couch. She still has very low muscle tone though. You can really tell the difference when you hold Caydence and then hold Sydney. Sydney feel like a little Hulk Hogan compared to Caydence. But as we work with her and as she grows and plays she will develop her muscles more and more.

Fact #2: Down syndrome is not a disease; it is a genetic condition. You can't "catch" Down syndrome. A baby has Down syndrome the minute the sperm meets the egg. It's not something a woman can develop during pregnancy because it is present at the moment of conception; as soon as the cells divide. The most common type of Down syndrome is Nondisjunction Trisomy 21 or T21; it occurs because of incorrect chromosome division during meiosis. It results in the fertilized egg having three 21st chromosomes instead of two. The other types of Down syndrome are Translocation T21, Mosaicism (Mosaic Down Syndrome), and Partial Trisomy 21.

Caydence has the typical T21 Down syndrome. 

I'll write an update soon, about how Caydence has been doing but, too busy at the moment. Hopefully tomorrow :) Thanks for reading.