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Children With Downs Syndrome

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In one among hundreds of daily tragedies that occur in Iraq, one particular act of violence left an indelible mark of shock and disbelief among people in that war-torn country and the rest of the world.

On a busy day in central al-Ghazi, a woman wearing the traditional black Muslim garb walked into a bustling crowd of men, women, and children. People in the market were going about their usual day --- some were shopping for food; others were working their trade; a number were on their way to school and the office. Suddenly, a loud explosion was heard.

When the smoke cleared, 46 people lay dead and more than a hundred were wounded. Investigators later established that the woman in the black garb was responsible for the terrorist attack. Police theorized that beneath the woman's long, modest clothing was a string of wires attached to a bomb that was strapped across her fragile body.

Not too long after, a second attack rocked war-torn Baghdad. Another woman went to a bird market in a predominantly Shiite area in south-eastern part of the city and, like the first woman-bomber, detonated herself leaving 27 people dead and 70 others wounded.

What was tragic about the two attacks is that, unlike in the past, terrorist groups were now determined to use women as suicide bombers. Another almost unbelievable fact that surrounded the attacks is that both the female bombers were later found to have had Down's Syndrome. Somehow, the terrorists exploited the mental disabilities of those two women and re-programmed them into human weapons. Being mentally handicapped, both women were subjected to some form of brainwashing. Instead of receiving professional health care, those two women were used to kill many innocent civilians in a war that, so it seems, still has no end in sight.

How were these women exploited and used as suicide bombers? Perhaps the clue lies in understanding the medical condition that both women had prior to their unwitting conversion into walking time bombs.

Down's Syndrome or DS is a genetic disorder that causes mental retardation and other physical and mental problems. DS is the most common genetic cause of severe learning disabilities in children. The condition occurs in one out of every 700 infants. There are as many as 6,000 babies that are born with DS in the United States each year. The condition is named after the doctor who first identified the syndrome, John Langdon Down.

Normally, at the time of conception a baby inherits genetic information from the parents in the form of 46 chromosomes: 23 from the mother and 23 from the father. In most cases of DS, however, a child gets an extra chromosome - for a total of 47 chromosomes instead of 46. It's this extra genetic material that causes the physical and cognitive delays associated with DS. Although no one knows for sure why DS occurs and there's no way to prevent the chromosomal error that causes it, scientists do know that women age 35 and older have a significantly higher risk of having a child with the condition. At age 30, for example, a woman has less than a 1 in 1,000 chance of conceiving a child with DS. Those odds increase to 1 in 400 by age 35. By 42, it jumps to about 1 in 60.

Screening for DS is offered as a routine part of prenatal care. A mother's age has traditionally been a factor in the decision to screen for DS. But now, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommends offering various screening tests for DS to all pregnant women, regardless of age. A health care provider can help weigh the pros and cons of these tests for every mother's individual situation.

Children with DS have a distinct facial appearance, though not all have the same features. The women suicide bombers as reported were found to have round face and high forehead which is commonly associated with DS.

Though DS can't be prevented, it can be detected before a child is born. The health problems that can go along with DS can be treated, and there are many resources within communities to help kids and their families who are living with the condition.

There's still no medical cure for this condition. But hopefully, increased understanding of DS and early interventions make a big difference in the lives of both children and adults around the world especially in under developed countries.

Instead of helping the two women to get medical help for their condition, the terrorists used the two mentally handicapped women who obviously appeared not to pose any threat to people around them. Being women, they could get close to targets with less chance of being stopped or searched.In Islamic culture, it is also taboo to touch women, a fact that would have prevented even the most security-conscious police officer in Baghdad from searching those two women in a checkpoint.

Moreover, being mentally impaired with DS, these women were also less likely to make a rational judgment about what they are being asked to do by their terrorist handlers. In Iraq, it is disheartening to find out that people with DS could not stay home with their familes or study in special schools much in the same way it is done in the United States. There is no reason for anyone or any group to exploit and ruin the lives of innocent civilians especially if they are mentally handicapped like those two women. Those suicide bombers most likely didn't know what they were doing and were just as innocent as those who lost their lives in the twin attacks. Those two incidents somehow makes one question whether the terrorists were also in their right minds when they planned and executed the attacks. Indeed, aside from the senseless violence of that war, the greater tragedy is the moral and ethical handicap that afflicts the terrorists and prevents them from respecting humanity. And in the wake of their brutal acts lie a string of corpses and lives wasted.

Children With Downs Syndrome

No one told me about "The Memory Keeper's Daughter," by Kim Edwards. But I knew I was about to undertake a grueling several days and I wanted a good book to escape to. So I walked into Borders, and strolled right to the book in question and bought it.

My days would be taken up with an Advanced Cardiac Life Support course coupled with oral and written tests, plus having to know things I already knew but needed to feel more confident about knowing, such as the recogniton of cardiac rhythms, knowledge of cardiac drugs in the event of sudden cardiac arrest, stroke or collapse.

The book immediately reveals the story line, most all of the characters, and pulls you in by the end of the very first chapter with poetically beautiful narrative.

Throughout the book, the author brings all five senses and mixes them with nature images and mind dreams to illustrate points, develop the character and story line.

The book begins with a young married couple deeply in love and nine months pregnant, going into labor in the middle of an unexpected and rare snowstorm in Kentucky.

The husband is an Orthopedic doctor. When his wife goes into labor, they arrange to meet the Obstetrician at the husband's Orthopedic clinic. The Ob doctor crashes in the snow storm and the husband must deliver the baby.

His nurse is also present to assist in this momentous occasion.

The first chapter ends dramatically when the mother delivers not one but two babies. One is a healthy baby boy, the other is a girl with Down's, or Trisomy 21.

The year is 1964.

This is a moment that changes the course of everyone's lives; the doctor, his wife and nurse for the doctor decides the baby girl must go and live in an institution and he gives the baby to his nurse to take the baby there.

He tells his wife that the baby is dead.

The nurse cannot follow through with leaving the baby at the institution, so she leaves town with the baby and raises her.

All this in a few short pages.

Much has changed since 1964. Now we perform a marker test for Downs between 16 and 19 weeks. If the baby does have the marker, an amniocentesis is offered. If this is definitive for Downs, the parents have the choice to terminate the pregnancy.

Markers in early pregnancy have also been developed but most health insurance carriers will not pay for this expensive test.

If parents decide to keep the baby, they have time to prepare mentally, spiritually and psychologically for what is sure to be a challenge.

This book is about a secret that hangs like a thunder cloud, following these pivotal characters throughout the book.

Mom knows subliminally but does not know consciously.

Her husband becomes distant and unreachable from the time he tells his wife this lie throughout their entire marriage.

Demons, shadows, nightmares.

I spoke to a former head of Pediatrics who is now retired. He said years ago, when a Downs baby was born, the Pediatrician routinely counseled the family to give the child immediately over to an institution.

Usually the husband made this decision often over the wishes of the mother. My friend said this caused huge conflict in families, and many of these couples eventually divorced, at a time when divorce was not popular.

Conflict, angst, total sadness and great loss.

So our character in The Memory Keeper's Daughter acted as others acted at the time and made a decision that was commonly made.

At this point, we could discuss such ethical issues as eugenics, abortion, and infanticide, but these are beyond the scope of this article.

As a Labor and Delivery nurse, I also serve on what is called the Bereavement Committee, serving those parents whose babies have died.

We have more than our share of pregnancy losses, premature babies who teeter on the edge between life and death, and yes, several Down's babies are born every year, as well.

The main concern is whether a family has the resources to care for these beautiful and loving children.

Do they have the family support, dedication and committment?

Waldorf educational methods are tailor made to help special needs children.

Walforf education was developed by Rudolf Steiner in Europe in the 1920's. There are currently more than 500 Waldorf schools worldwide, and Waldorf has been in North America for 75 years.

Waldorf is based on the view that the human being is a being of body, soul and spirit. The Waldorf approach to education attempts to bring together all elements of a child's development: intellectual, artistic, and spiritual.

Its goal is to produce individuals who are able to function independently and create the meaning for their own lives themselves, and not have to rely on others to do this for them.

Waldorf educational methods are diametrically opposed to those that forms the basis for most public school systems.

Waldorf education is intended to preserve the integrity of the individual student; not to turn them into conformists. Waldorf educational methods are effective for all students but are particularly helpful in the case of special needs children.

Special needs children will have strengths in areas not developed in the standard public educational systems. Waldorf methods will address these strengths, and child will experience significant increases in self-esteem as a result of their success. Special needs children often have very limited experience in being successful in a school environment and respond rapidly and positively when they are given a chance to demonstrate their competence.

But the most profound benefit of using Waldorf educational methods to help special needs children is that they encourage the children to develop as independent, self-reliant individuals, able to function and meet life on their own terms, rather than passively looking to others for guidance.

This paves the way for a lifetime of successful self determination for the special needs child taught by Waldorf educational methods.

On the East Coast, Beaver Run and Spring Valley Waldorf Communities serve Special Needs People from youth to old age and death. What a wonderful alternative to an "Institution."

This is an enlightened alternative to an otherwise bleak life of dependence.

The Memory Keeper's Daughter was alive and wonderful. Read it if you haven't already.

And In-Joy!!

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About Author

Both Cecill Artates & Kate Loving Shenk are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.

Cecill Artates has sinced written about articles on various topics from Cure Anxiety, Health and Fitness. Cecill Artates is a women's health advocate and currently writes health-related articles for a women's health magazine. She is also active in promoting sports and health among women and the youth in disadvantaged communities.If you find this article very. Cecill Artates's top article generates over 74000 views. to your Favourites.

Kate Loving Shenk has sinced written about articles on various topics from Fitness, self improvement and motivation and Pixel Advertising. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=--=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-Kate Loving Shenk is a writer, healer, musician and the creator of the e-book called "Transform Your Nursing Career and Discover Your Calling and Destiny." Click here to find out how to ord. Kate Loving Shenk's top article generates over 90500 views. to your Favourites.

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