The cause of mothers carrying babies with Down syndrome is not yet known with certainty. However, there are several factors that are thought to increase the risk of pregnant women giving birth to children with this condition, ranging from genetic disorders, heredity, to unhealthy habits.
Down syndrome is a disease that makes sufferers have learning difficulties, growth and development barriers, as well as distinctive physical forms.
Some physical features possessed by Down syndrome sufferers include short neck, small head size, rather flat face, distinctive eye shape, short body, and short fingers. Some children born with this condition also suffer from congenital heart disease, hearing loss, and thyroid problems.
What Causes Mother to Contain Down Syndrome Baby?
Down syndrome occurs due to genetic disorders that cause DNA components to form abnormally. This causes the growth and function of organs of the fetus to be abnormal.
Unfortunately, until now it has not been known exactly what causes the fetus to experience these abnormalities. Nevertheless, several studies have found that there are several factors that can increase the risk of a woman giving birth to a child with this genetic disorder, namely:
1. Pregnant at an older age
The risk of a mother carrying a Down syndrome baby will increase with age during pregnancy. Some studies state that the risk of giving birth to a baby with Down syndrome will be higher in pregnant women aged over 35 years.
This may be because the older a woman's age, the quality of her eggs will decrease, so that it can cause interference with the formation of genetic components during fertilization.
However, this can not be used as a main benchmark, because not a few pregnant women under the age of 35 who gave birth to children with Down syndrome.
2. Have a history of giving birth to a child with Down syndrome
The risk of a mother carrying a Down syndrome baby will also increase if she has previously given birth to a baby suffering from this condition. Although very rare, Down syndrome can also be inherited from parents.
Therefore, periodic pregnancy checks are needed to determine whether there are genetic abnormalities in the fetus that indicate the presence of Down syndrome.
3. Smoking and consuming excessive alcohol while pregnant
Pregnant women who often consume alcohol or smoke are also said to have a higher risk of conceiving babies with Down syndrome. This is thought to be because both of these bad habits can make the genetic component or DNA of the fetus more susceptible to damage and do not form properly, resulting in Down syndrome.
4. Frequent exposure to pollution and toxic substances
One risk factor that is thought to contribute to causing a fetus to develop Down syndrome is exposure to pollution and toxic substances during pregnancy. This pollution exposure can occur when pregnant women inhale cigarette smoke, motor vehicles, or factory smoke.
While toxic substances that are thought to increase the risk of Down syndrome are from pesticides, factory waste, to heavy metals, such as arsenic, lead, and mercury.
5. Malnutrition during pregnancy
Adequate nutrition plays a very important role for a healthy pregnancy. This also applies to reducing the risk of Down syndrome in the fetus.
According to some health research, mothers who lack certain nutrients, such as folate, protein, iron, vitamin D, and omega-3s, are said to be at higher risk for giving birth to babies with Down syndrome.
Because some of the above can increase the risk of a baby having Down syndrome, pregnant women need to avoid it. In addition, do a routine obstetric examination to the doctor.
In diagnosing Down syndrome in the fetus, the doctor will conduct a series of medical examinations which include ultrasonography (USG) and genetic tests (DNA testing) on the fetus.
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