Search Results for: blog what causes down syndrome

What Causes Chronic Pelvic Pain?

Approximately fifteen percent of women in America suffer from chronic pelvic pain. Sitting, walking, going to the bathroom, and even certain clothes can be incredibly painful for women who suffer from chronic pelvic pain. Doctors have recently realized that chronic pelvic pain is often caused by more than one problem. Treating just one cause may not solve the problem of chronic pain. Here are some of the most common causes: Endometriosis — a condition where cells that are similar to the lining of the uterus migrate and break down during your monthly menstrual period. If you have endometriosis, you may … Continue reading →

Restless Legs Syndrome: Overview

As many as twelve million Americans may suffer from restless legs syndrome (RLS). This neurological disorder causes unpleasant creeping, crawling, burning, pulling, or itching sensations that make it difficult to relax or rest. These sensations can make it almost impossible to stay still. Restless legs syndrome can be difficult to diagnose; some experts believe that RLS is underdiagnosed and may affect more than twelve million people in the United States. Why? Because some people with mild symptoms may not seek medical assistance. Some doctors misdiagnose the problem as nervousness, stress, insomnia, muscle cramps, or arthritis. Common symptoms of RLS include: … Continue reading →

Your Genes and Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

A recent study from Harvard Medical School says that your genetics may play a bigger role in carpal tunnel than repetitive motion or too much keyboard time. So what is carpal tunnel syndrome? Your arm has a nerve called the median nerve that runs down the arm and into the hand, controlling some of the sensations to thumb and your first three fingers. At the wrist, the median nerve passes through a space called the carpal tunnel. If the nerve becomes compressed or squeezed in the carpal tunnel, you can experience tingling (like pins-and-needles when a limb falls asleep), pain, … Continue reading →

Syndrome Soup: When Your Kid Has a Mixed Diagnosis

Although some special needs children have a very specific diagnosis of ADHD, autism, or Tourette syndrome, etc., many children have symptoms from a variety of disorders. For example, a child might have Tourette-like tics, with ADHD-like inattention, OCD-like anxiety, and bipolar-like mood swings. Add a dash of learning disabilities, and you’ve got syndrome soup. Many neurological disorders have cross-over symptoms, and many are commonly seen together, such as ADHD and Tourette syndrome. Sometimes these mixed-diagnosis kids have a long list of disorders which seem to utilize every letter of the alphabet, or they might be in limbo with no specific … Continue reading →

“His Life Is Definitely Not a Struggle.” A Mother of a Child with Down Syndrome Shares Her Story

The following is an interview I had with Valle Dwight. Valle was a reader who sent me a private message correcting my terminology in a previous blog about mental retardation. I agreed with her concerns and removed my blog. Valle was so insightful and positive that I wanted to give her the opportunity to share her story. I continue to be impressed by her and am sure you will enjoy reading this interview. 1. Tell us a little about your family. “My husband and I have been married for 16 years. We have two boys, 13 and 10. Our youngest … Continue reading →

What is Failure to Thrive Syndrome?

Failure to thrive is exactly what it sounds like: your infant, for whatever reason is not gaining enough weight and ‘thriving‘. Perhaps your baby is missing developmental markers as well, such as rolling over, smiling, and/or cooing. Failure to thrive can have so many causes that it may take awhile to diagnose exactly why your infant may not be gaining weight. Failure to Thrive and Weight Gain If you have been blessed with a particularly large baby, eventually your baby will slow down in his rate of growth. My son was in the 95th percentile until about age 2. Slowly … Continue reading →

What Causes Down Syndrome?

It might surprise you to learn that “Down Syndrome” is the most commonly occurring genetic condition causing mental retardation in humans. Approximately 1 in 733 babies are born with the syndrome, and approximately 350,000 people have Down Syndrome in the United States alone. It was given its name when a physician, Dr. John Langdon Down, published an accurate description of the features and similarities of people with the syndrome in 1866. He was then considered the “father” of the disorder, and it was given his name. Why does it occur? Down Syndrome occurs because of an error in cell division, … Continue reading →

Special Needs Podcast Roundup – Week of March 26, 2012

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Each and every week, the Special Needs Podcast Roundup brings you episodes of podcasts that talk about topics that are relevant to parents of kids who have special needs. They could be about anything from autism, ADHD, and allergies, to special education laws, and insurance coverage for the treatment your child needs. The Coffee Klatch has an episode that was released on March 25, 2012. This episode is called “Down Syndrome From a Father’s Perspective”. It features Rick Smith, whose son, Noah, has Down Syndrome. Rick’s blog is called “Noah’s Dad”. He shares his personal experiences on his blog, and … Continue reading →

Heart Sick: How Stress Destroys Health

Study after study shows that stress is a destroyer of health, causing disease and disability. The emotional toll of abuse is manifested in physical stress. Anger, guilt, and fear produce specific physiological reactions that wear down the body. Over time this stress produces physical symptoms that are impossible to ignore or medicate. These can include: – Digestive difficulties including ulcers and irritable bowel syndrome – Heartbeat irregularities – Chronic fatigue – Tightness of the chest – Difficulty breathing or hyperventilation – Muscle tension or shakiness – Headaches – Loss of appetite – Binge eating – Chronic illness such as colds … Continue reading →

Eleven Year Old With Hypertrichosis is Happy

An eleven year old girl who lives in Bangkok, Thailand, was born with hypertrichosis. This is a genetic disorder that causes excessive hair to grow on a person’s face. Typically, children will pick on the differences that they see in others. However, Nat is happy, and has plenty of friends. Supatra Sasuphan, who goes by the nickname Nat, lives in Bangkok, Thailand. She is eleven years old, and gets good grades at school. She enjoys singing, dancing, and acting, and shows a great deal of self-confidence. She is well liked by her peers. This, all by itself, is fairly remarkable … Continue reading →