The symptoms of Down’s syndrome can affect a person in many different ways. However, the most obvious symptom of the condition is its effect on a person’s physical appearance.
Physical appearance
People with Down’s syndrome tend to have a number of typical physical features. Some people with the syndrome only have a few of these features, while others are more severely affected.
The physical features of Down’s syndrome may include:
- eyes that slant upwards
- small ears
- flat back of head
- small mouth
- protruding tongue
- flattened nose bridge
- white spots on the iris (the coloured part of the eye), known as Brushfield spots
- short fingers
- broad hands with a single crease across the palm
- loose skin on the back of the neck
- loose joints (babies in particular may seem ‘floppy’)
- poor muscle tone (hypotonia)
- low birth weight
- vertical skin folds (epicanthic folds) between the upper eyelids and inner corner of the eye
Learning difficulties
All children with Down’s syndrome will have learning difficulties, which can range from mild to moderate.
One way of measuring a person’s intelligence is to use a type of test called an intelligence quotient (IQ). An IQ test involves exercises that are designed to assess specific capabilities.
The average IQ score for the general population is 100. People with Down’s syndrome have an IQ of 25 to 80, with an average score of 50.
In particular, children with Down’s syndrome may have:
- memory problems – both short-term and long-term memory
- concentration problems – many children have low attention spans
- difficulty problem solving
- difficulty understanding the consequences of their actions
Delayed development
Children with Down’s syndrome have delayed physical and mental development.
Children with Down’s syndrome are usually much shorter than other children their age. Growth continues through childhood but most adults with Down’s syndrome are below average height – around 158cm (5.2ft) for men and 140cm (4.6ft) for women.
With regards to mental development, children with Down’s syndrome usually take longer to reach important developmental milestones, such as:
- learning to crawl
- learning to walk
- learning to speak
- learning to read
- learning the social skills that are used for social interaction
It is important to recognise that a child with Down’s syndrome may still be able to acquire most, if not all, of the mental and social skills that most other people develop. Their development simply occurs at a slower pace.
