Threats to Development

Threats to Development

A Brief Description of the Selected Disorder

Feldman (2022) understands Down syndrome as “a disorder produced by the presence of an extra chromosome on the 21^st pair, once referred to as mongolism” (p.58). More often than not, Down syndrome happens during the pregnancy’s first trimester due to an irregular division of cells. Children with Down syndrome may have intellectual and physical disabilities as well as other health conditions.

Societal and Environmental Factors That May Reduce the Occurrence of Down Syndrome

There are societal and environmental factors that may help in the reduction of the possibility of Down syndrome in children. To begin with, prenatal screening, such as using various techniques to assess the unborn child’s health, can help determine preventive or management measures. Feldman (2022) writes that genetic counselors have found the newest way of testing people instead of their children to determine their vulnerabilities to future disorders due to genetic abnormalities. Early identification of the disorder helps the parent plan for the child’s future care, thus creating a more enabling environment. Accessibility to healthcare facilities would also help reduce Down syndrome impacts. Essentially, the mother would have access to frequent checkups, therapies, and early interventions, thus facilitating managing health concerns and promoting optimal development.

The inclusion of education is also considered important in reducing the impact of Down syndrome. Inclusive education integrates different learning needs, which also meet the concerns and needs of children with Down syndrome. If parents could incorporate individualized learning plans, it could help integrate children with Down syndrome into the social network, thus facilitating independence and cognitive development. Moreover, family, friends, and teachers form a firm social network for children with Down syndrome. According to the National Human Genome Research Institute (2018), families and friends provide emotional and social support, access to resources, and guidance to children with Down syndrome.

Ensuring Positive Development for a Child Even after Down Syndrome Occurs

Once Down syndrome occurs, some measures can be taken after birth to ensure a more positive course of life for the developing child. Preliminary interventions such as language and speech therapy can be implemented to help develop the child’s speech. These forms of intervention aid in the development of functional skills, independence, and quality of life in children. Moreover, the parents/guardians can introduce occupational and physical therapy. The National Human Genome Research Institute (2018) claims that intervention for Down syndrome is dependent on the child’s intellectual and physical challenges. The institute finds that many children with Down syndrome have poor muscle tone, making it difficult to walk or rollover. Therefore, introducing early physical therapy would help improve their mobility. Moreover, some children with the disorder have bowel blockages, which can be corrected through surgery (The National Human Genome Research Institute, 2018). The institute reports that further health issues are limited once the surgery is done. Additionally, the parents, in conjunction with the support networks, can formulate individualized education plans to meet the child’s specific needs once they start school. However, the child’s immediate need after birth must focus on medical and social concerns. The child’s parents can consult occupational therapists, breastfeeding consultants, speech therapists, and support groups for specific resources needed for their child. They should also be keen to aggressively treat ear infections, sinus, and colds since these may cause chronic infections and hearing loss (The National Human Genome Research Institute, 2018). More importantly, the child and their parents would need strong family support regarding emotional, social, financial, respite, and counseling needs.

In summary, Down syndrome can impact a child’s development significantly. The parents of the child need to consider environmental and societal effects that may reduce the occurrence and effects of the disorder. This should include early detection through screening, accessibility to healthcare facilities, inclusive education, as well as a strong social network.

References

Feldman, R.S. (2022). Child Development, 7^th Edition. Boston: Pearson.

The National Human Genome Research Institute (2018). About Down Syndrome. https://www.genome.gov/Genetic-Disorders/Down-Syndrome

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The prenatal environment may be seen as one of life’s biggest wonders, as it is the place where the right conditions occur to produce the miracle of human life. Sadly, as threats do occur in most environments, the prenatal environment is no exception. In the prenatal environment, threats to developing life can take the shape of teratogens and genetic disorders that can result in long-term consequences.

Threats to Development

As you recall from your textbook, a teratogen is an environmental agent that reaches the fetus, such as a drug, chemical, virus, or other factor that produces a birth defect (Feldman, 2022). Genetic disorders are inherited conditions that occur during prenatal development due to mutations or other irregularities in genes or chromosomes. For instance, Down Syndrome is caused by an irregular cell division that results in three partial or full copies of Chromosome 21 and typically occurs during the first trimester.

It is important to note that there is an interaction between heredity and environmental factors. Heredity is never the only factor in any complex trait. Environment almost always plays a role as well.

In this Assignment, you will select a specific teratogen or genetic disorder to analyze. In your analysis, you will discuss the societal and environmental influences related to the likelihood of genetic disorders or threats from teratogens affecting children and what can be done to make the course of life more positive for the children after birth.

To prepare:

Review Chapter 3, “The Start of Life: Genetics and Prenatal Development.” Focus on Table 3.1, “The Genetic Basis of Selected Behavioral Disorders and Traits,” in your course textbook. Also, review Figure 3.7, “Inhaled Air and Genetic Mutations,” in your course textbook. Focus on what your course textbook says about teratogens in the section titled “The Prenatal Environment: Threats to Development.”
Review the resource about genetic disorders from the National Human Genome Research Institute. As you review this resource, locate the list of genetic disorders, and then select any one of them to find out more about that disorder.
Review the resource Pregnancy and Teratogens from Healthline. Think about known teratogens and potential genetic disorders that may have touched your life or the life of someone you know in some way.
Choose one teratogen OR one genetic disorder that you would like to examine for this Assignment.
The Assignment (2–3 pages):

For the teratogen or genetic disorder, you selected, respond to the following:

Briefly define the teratogen or genetic disorder you selected.
If you chose a genetic disorder, discuss the societal and environmental influences that make it less likely for the disorder to occur. Explain why this is the case.
If you chose a teratogen, discuss the societal and environmental influences that make it less likely for the threat from the teratogen to occur. Explain why this is the case.
Once a genetic disorder or the effect of a teratogen occurs, explain what can be done after birth to make the course of life more positive for the developing child.
Note: Support the responses within your Assignment with evidence from the course Learning Resources. Provide a Reference List of the resources you used for this assignment. The title page and Reference List do not count toward the 2- to 3-page paper length. Use APA style for in-text citations and references.