Rafan Razzak was born in 2008 with Down syndrome. He is currently 16 years old. Rafan was born at the Japan-Bangladesh Friendship Hospital in Dhanmondi in the capital. At the time of birth, the doctor asked for a newborn examination. They said that some different characteristics were seen in the child. For example, the baby is a little soft or fluffy. Later tests revealed that Rafan had Down syndrome symptoms. But this special demand could not stop him. Now he spends his days laughing. He is living like other normal children.
Down syndrome is not a disease. It is a hereditary problem and occurs due to specific defects in chromosomes in the body. It is a special condition of the child from birth. They have separate personalities. A person with Down syndrome has an extra chromosome 21 in every cell, called ‘trisomy 21’. According to the concerned, they have rights, such children need to be properly cared for and rehabilitated.
The 19th World Down Syndrome Day is today Thursday (March 21). This year the theme of the day is ‘End the Stereotype’. Bangladesh’s slogan is ‘End of Traditional Concepts, Access Smart Bangladesh’. The day is being observed for the 11th time in the country. A British physician named John Langdon Down gave a complete description of such physical complications for the first time in 1866. So this problem is named ‘Down syndrome’ after him.
If the mother’s age is less than 20 years or more than 35 years in the country, such risk will increase in the case of children born. As the child ages, the risk of developing Down syndrome increases. For example, 1 in 350 pregnant women by the age of 35 and 1 in 100 by the age of 40 will have a baby with Down syndrome.
There is no accurate statistics on Down syndrome in Bangladesh. But in global statistics, it is estimated that one child in every 800 children is born with Down syndrome. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), there are approximately 7 million people with Down syndrome in the world. According to Bangladesh government data, there are 6,000 people born with Down syndrome in the country so far. But this is not the original image.
Read more
Those concerned say that the government has started storing information about Down syndrome. However, the information related to this is not coming up correctly even in the database created by the government. Government data identifies people born with Down syndrome as having multiple disabilities or intellectual disabilities. It does not provide accurate information about people with Down syndrome.
Ayesha Akhter, a 14-year-old child with special needs. Ever since the doctors informed her about this special need after her birth, her mother Lucky Begum has been subjected to various harsh words from her husband and family. Ayesha’s parents divorced four years after she was born. Lucky Begum’s house is in Bagerhat district.
Lucky Begum told Jago News that Ayesha fell ill one and a half months after her birth. When she was taken to the children’s hospital, the doctors said that Ayesha has special needs. He will not be able to walk normally like everyone else. From then on, my in-laws started saying harsh things to me. He wants to put all the blame on me.
‘I remarried after divorcing my previous husband. I have a three year old son in my new family. He is completely healthy’ – said Lucky Begum.
‘Bangladesh Down Syndrome Society’ was formed in 2016 to help people with Down syndrome in Bangladesh. Its founding chairman Sardar A Razzak told Jago News that there is still no complete information on Down syndrome in the country. We work with such people. While working, I have seen that if there are 20,000 people in a village or police station, there are 15 to 20 people with Down syndrome. And then the global statistics match this information.
Read more
According to the World Health Organization, 5,000 Down syndrome babies are born in Bangladesh every year. With so many children born with this problem every year, the number should be much higher in the long run. Besides, according to global statistics, 2,500 to 3,000 of the 2,500,000 children born in the country have Down syndrome. But they have no statistics due to lack of accurate data.
What is Down syndrome? Sardar A Razzak said that the body of ordinary people has billion-trillion cells. A cell has 23 pairs of chromosomes. Babies born with Down syndrome have 23 pairs. But these special people have three chromosomes in the 21st chromosome. And this extra chromosome is present in every cell of the body. It is caused by trisomy 21 cell division abnormality. Many people think that it is due to mother’s problem. But such an idea is not correct.
Global statistics estimate that one in every 800 children is born with Down syndrome. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), there are approximately 7 million people with Down syndrome in the world. According to Bangladesh government data, there are 6,000 people born with Down syndrome in the country so far. But this is not the original image
Types of Down syndrome There are three types of Down syndrome. For example, tropical down syndrome, mosaic down syndrome and translocated down syndrome. Each of the cell’s 21 chromosomes has an extra chromosome. 95% of Down syndromes have the tropical Down syndrome type. In mosaic Down syndrome, not all cells have this extra chromosome. With some gaps, this type of Down syndrome has 2-3 percent of people. Babies with translocated Down syndrome may be born with certain disorders. They are somewhat critical. This type is between 1 and 2 percent.
Symptoms of Down syndrome Professor Dr. Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) chairman of the child neurology department about the symptoms of this disease. Gopen Kumar Kundu told Jago News that these babies are very soft and fluffy. Low muscle tone makes their body a little bloated. Many have a tendency to stick their tongue out a bit. The face is small, the snout is not defined, the throat is small. Besides, low height, raised corners of the eyes, flat nose, small ears, only a line on the palm and protruding tongue etc. are seen.
In addition, such people have complications such as hearing loss, speech delay and low intelligence. Their gait and muscle structure are not correct. IQ or intelligence is very low. In some cases, sufferers develop heart problems at a young age.
Down syndrome children need proper care Sardar A Razzak said, it is not a disease, it happens by birth. As a result, there is no specific claim. But they can be fixed with therapy. There are many babies who do not even get out of bed for two to three months after birth. But with age, now they swim in rivers too. Such children can be cured by regular care.
He said, our foundation is working with these special needs people. They are very emotional. Don’t want to go to the syllabus. But if you teach them, they can. The children we have here are performing on stage. They are dancing, talking.
Five thousand Down syndrome children are born in Bangladesh every year. With so many children born with this problem every year, the number should be much higher in the long run. Besides, according to global statistics, 2,500 to 3,000 of the 2,500,000 children born in the country have Down syndrome. But they have no statistics due to lack of accurate data
The founding chairman of Bangladesh Down Syndrome Society also said that they learn everything a little late because of the extra chromosome. Late walking, the body structure is also a little different, the face is a little compressed. The tongue often sticks out. These problems can often be fixed with therapy.
Read more
He feels that it would be easier to treat children born with Down syndrome if there is a separate dedicated hospital in the country. Their diseases are similar to normal people, but their treatment methods are slightly different.
Dr. in this regard. Gopen Kumar Kundu said, in our country, if the mother’s age is less than 20 years or more than 35 years, such risk will increase in the case of the child born. As the child ages, the risk of developing Down syndrome increases. For example, one in every 350 pregnant women aged 35 and one in every 100 pregnant women aged 40 may have a baby with Down syndrome.
He said that if a mother had a Down syndrome child before, the risk of having such a problem in the next child increases. If the parents are carriers of the defective chromosome, their child may also be a Down child. If the carrier is the father, then the risk is 3 percent and if the carrier is the mother, the risk increases to 12 percent.
