Physical and Mental Effects of Down Syndrome Research Paper

Physical and Mental Effects of Down Syndrome - Research Paper Example According to the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Down syndrome can be found in approximately 1 child in every 800-1,000 births and is a life-long condition. Seeking to explain the aspects of Down syndrome to the lay reader, the following will discuss Down syndrome in a thorough and comprehensive attempt to understand this disorder. The following research paper will commence with an overview of the condition, the factors which may lead to the occurrence of Down syndrome and discuss the ramifications of this condition on the life of an affected child as well as on later life. This research paper will begin with a concise introduction to Down syndrome as an inherited condition and will explore the health ramifications found among people with this condition. Following this, an exploration of the physical and mental effects of Down syndrome will provide much insight into the ramifications of this condition on the lives of the people it affects. After a concise an alysis of the multitude of health ramifications of this disorder, an overview of the relationship between dementia and Down syndrome will focus on the correlation between these two important health issues. This will be followed by a thorough overview of the ethical issues surrounding Down syndrome and the increased likelihood of elective abortion when this condition is present. Seeking to provide a thorough introduction to guide this analysis, this research paper now turns to an introduction to Down syndrome (National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, 2009; Selikowitz 2007). Down syndrome is caused by a random event which occurs during the formation of reproductive cells during the early stages of a pregnancy. It has traditionally been believed that there is a link between maternal age at the time of conception and the incidence of Down syndrome among newborn babies.