SHILLONG: The Indian Academy of Pediatrics – Meghalaya State Branch organised a free echocardiography screening camp for children with Down’s syndrome to mark World Down’s Syndrome Day.
This camp was conducted in collaboration with the Department of Cardiology, NEIGRIHMS. Children from
Mary Rice Center for Special Education and Dwarjingkyrmen participated.
Two infants from Jowai also took part in the camp. 12 out of 19 children screened at the camp were
detected to have congenital heart defects. The theme adopted by lAP for WDSD was “Let’s walk
together “.
Trisomy 21 or Down’s syndrome is a genetic condition which results due to triplication of the hromosome 21, resulting in 3 instead of 2 number of chromosomes in each cell of the body.
Down’s syndrome babies are born with multiple birth defects, intellectual disabilities and characteristic facial features known as Down’s facies. The common birth defects are heart anomalies, hypothyroidism,
hearing/visual problems along with developmental and intellectual issues.
In 1866, Dr. Langdon Down was the first physician to describe the physical symptoms of Down Syndrome and later in 1959 the cause of Down syndrome was attributed to presence of trisomy 21.
The United Nations has adopted “March 21” as World Down’ s Syndrome Day, in order to raise
awareness amongst civil societies about Down’s syndrome.
