A healthcare expert, Mrs Rose Mordi, has urged parents of children with Down syndrome to always love and support them to build their future.
Mordi, also President, Down Syndrome Foundation Nigeria (DSFN), gave the advice on Monday in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria in Lagos.
She said that Down syndrome condition was a genetic disorder caused when abnormal cell division results in extra genetic material from Chromosome 21.
According to her, the condition has no medical cure or preventive measure, saying with early detection, intervention and management, affected person can live normal heathy life.
She explained that Down syndrome was a Chromosomal disorder, also known as Trisomy 21, associated with delay in cognitive ability, physical growth and particular set of facial characteristics.
Mordi noted that Down syndrome occurred when an individual has a full or partial extra copy of Chromosome 21.
“Down syndrome is a genetic disorder caused by the presence of all or part of a third copy of Chromosome 21.
“It is associated with physical growth delays, facial features and mild to moderate intellectual disability.
“In every cell in the human body, there is a nucleus where genetic material is stored in genes.
“Genes carry the codes responsible for inherited traits, and are grouped along rod-like structures called Chromosomes.
“The nucleus of each cell contains 23 pairs of Chromosomes, half of which are inherited from each parent.
“Down syndrome occurs when an individual has a full or partial extra copy of Chromosome 21,” she said.
The DSFN president listed some common physical traits of Down syndrome to include: low muscle tone, small stature, small round facial look and an upward slant to the eyes, among others.
Mordi said that each person with the condition was a unique individual and might possess various characteristics to different degrees.
She said that the disorder could be identified during pregnancy by prenatal screening followed by diagnostic and genetic testing or by direct observation.
The foundation president said that people with Down syndrome deserved love and care from parents, community and government, with no form of discrimination and stigmatisation.
She, however, criticised some parents who do not see the value of training or educating a child with disability, particularly Down syndrome.
Mordi said that some parents were afraid of discrimination and negative attitudes of others.
“Parents should be more conscious of how to improve lives of their children with special needs like Down syndrome condition.
“We should teach our children to behave well, even better than us. It is genetic, but parents have active roles to play in the lives of children with the condition,’’ she said.
Mordi also urged the Federal Government to empower Down syndrome people with various skills in spite of their health challenge.
She said that education, proper care, capacity building and creativity would improve their quality of life, reduce dependency on families and the society.
The foundation president said that government needed to invest in people with the conditions by building their capacity and engaging them in skill acquisition programmes that would make them productive and financially independent.