Yvonne Pierre is an inspiration. She is a very strong, black single mother of two children - one of whom has Down Syndrome. She lives locally in the Atlanta area. This is her story. A mother's intuition is always right. Throughout my pregnancy, I felt that there was something special about my baby, but I could not put my finger on it. Shortly after giving birth to Zyon, looking at him for the first time, I thought I noticed something unusual in his appearance, but as the Medical staff said nothing, I assumed it was my imagination. Even when he started to have "digestive problems" and was rushed to the Intensive Care Unit, I suppressed my fears and put my trust in the doctors. When the doctors told...

Downs syndrom is an illness that commonly affects an individual's ability to learn at the same rate as others, along with sometimes causing physical disabilities. Individuals with downs syndrome can live a very happy and product lifestyle, but they do need to be monitored closely for any potential health complications that could arise at anytime. Diagnosing downs syndrom can occur before a child is even born. With the help of certain tests used to screen for various complications during pregnancy, physicians are often able to tell an expectant woman whether or not her child has an increased chance of having downs syndrome. Even with the best screening, however, there is always the possibility of a...

If your pregnancy symptoms are earlier and more pronounced than you'd normally expect, you may be carrying a twin pregnancy. However, only a health professional can tell for sure. 1. You just feel that you are carrying more than one baby. Some mothers of twins (or higher order multiples) say that they knew right from the start that they were carrying more than one baby. 2. You experience more nausea and/or morning sickness. If you are having more than one baby, you may have an elevated hCG level (hCG is a pregnancy related hormone). This hormone is the one associated with morning sickness. 3. Other typical pregnancy symptoms may be exaggerated. Many women -- but not all -- who are pregnant with...

Autism Spectrum Disorders are neurological conditions that affect the mental, physical development and the behaviors, communication skills and social interactions of people who suffer from such a disorder. Autism Spectrum Disorders range from milder forms of neurological disturbances to serious conditions, such as autism. Lots of children are diagnosed with forms of Autism Spectrum Disorders at birth, while others reveal the symptoms of such disorders in their first years of life. The incidence of Autism Spectrum Disorders with children is so great, that it exceeds other conditions like diabetes, meningitis and Down syndrome. Due to the large numbers of children that develop forms of Autism Spectrum...

AML, (acute myelogenous leukemia), is an aggressive cancer of the bone marrow and blood. It is the most common type of leukemia. AML is also known by the following names-acute myeloblastic leukemia, acute myeloid leukemia, acute granulocytic leukemia or acute nonlymphocytic leukemia. Blood cells are malformed and useless. The cells can accumulate in parts of the body. Acute myelogenous leukemia statistics * Rare in people under 40 years old * More common in men than in women * Average age is 65 years old * 5-year survival rate * under 65 years old-33% * over 65 years old-4% * 2007 it is predicted there will be 13,000 cases (majority will be adults) The symptoms of acute myelogenous leukemia include...

For me, there was a time when I took God as well as my life for granted. It was the period in my life when all seemed to be right and there were no obstacles on the smooth road of my life. My husband and I were going to become parents for the second time and we were both somewhere in heaven, until one day, when we got a telephone call from the Genetic Counselor. We got to know that our second child had a very weak bit of heart and a Down Syndrome. It seemed that our entire life and our world were ruined. In that moment when our lives changed considerably and could not do anything, we appealed to God asking him for help. It s needless to say that in the end we did not save our baby, she died at five...

Bipolar disorder is a mental illness that causes extreme mood swings. This condition is also called manic-depressive illness. It may be caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain. Bipolar disorder is a brain disorder that causes unusual shifts in a person's mood, energy, and ability to function. Different from the normal ups and downs that everyone goes through, the symptoms of bipolar disorder are severe. Psychotic features are often present during the manic phase of bipolar I disorder. Aspects of psychosis may also manifest during extreme episodes of depression. They are also present in schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder. Bipolar disorder typically develops in late adolescence or early...

While eupnoea is normal breathing, hypopnea is an abnormal type of breathing when the airflow is labored because of some pathology of the respiratory system. In other words it’s underbreathing. Hypopnea comes from the Greek roots hypo- (meaning low, under, beneath, down, below normal) and pnoe (meaning breathing). Among other abnormal breathing patterns are: bradypnea – rare and slow breath, dyspnea - intense breath with a shortness, sometimes with cyanosis, hyperpnea – the increased amplitude of breathing at the normal rate, tachypnea – quickened and fast breathing, oligopnea – weakening of respiratory movements accompanied with reduction of breath. Hypopnea is often...

Leaky gut syndrome is characterized by the increased permeability of the gut in response to excessive irritation and inflammation of the intestinal walls. Because this increased permeability leads to the improper functioning of the gastrointestinal tract, it can have a tremendous impact on several body processes, and is an underlying factor in the development of most food allergies and autoimmune diseases. Although leaky gut syndrome has become increasingly common and can be effectively treated through colostrum supplementation, physicians often overlook the disorder when diagnosing and treating the symptoms associated with it. Inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract increases its permeability...

When I was sixteen, during the Civil Rights era, as part of a one-way student exchange program (from the inner city of Detroit to suburban Traverse City, Michigan), I lived with a white family. This was part of an integration initiative. (For me, it was an escape from the drugs taking over my neighborhood and some other demons in my life, but that's another story.) The mother of the family was also an artist, a sculptress, who encouraged me to write when she saw my love of the written word. Her name is Verna Bartnick, and when she prophesied that she saw a writing talent in me, I wasn't so sure. After all, if, at the time, I had told my family I wanted to be a writer, they would've laughed and said...

Sleep apnea is often believed to effect only adults. In fact it is also a very common disorder in children, affecting up to 2 million children in the United States alone. Sleep apnea, and in particular obstructive sleep apnea, is often thought to effect only overweight men from the age of about fifty onwards. In fact, while sleep apnea is perhaps most often seen in this group, it also affects a large number of women and is increasingly being recognized as a very common disorder in children. Perhaps the first reference to sleep apnea in children was made by Charles Dickens in The Pickwick Papers, published in 1837, in which Dickens wrote about a fat boy with a short thick neck called Joe who was...

Millions of people all across the globe suffer from snoring and or sleep apnea. We all know what snoring is - most of us have probably had a less than favorable experience with a snorer. Sleep apnea is a condition that causes a person to temporarily stop breathing during their sleep. The period that the person does not breath is called an apnea, and may last 10 seconds or more. Many times, patients will not be aware that of these apneas, even though their sleep is disturbed. Patients suffering from sleep apnea may only notive symptoms sch as fatigue, depression, sleepiness during the day, etc. Apnea may be of the obstructive (usually caused by a restriction of the airways) or central (caused by a...

Parents of a child with Down syndrome have their hands full just trying to get used to their child's condition. What could get them more dubious is when someone suggests that their child should have a physical therapist. Why physical therapy? Won't he learn to walk and run, just like other children do? Down syndrome and physical therapy may be an odd pair yet the parent should realize the inherent benefits that physical therapy could offer. First of all, the arrangement of Down syndrome and physical therapy offers the child one of the most important services he will receive in the early intervention period. It is during this early phase that the Down syndrome and physical therapy match will have the...

If you know how to use SEO to get a high listing in search engines, or are an expert in search engine optimization for high Google listings, then you need read no more of this article. Your website obviously has at least one page in the top 10 of Google, MSN and Yahoo, and you have as much traffic as you need for your success. However, if not, then you need some advice. You need to understand the basics of search engine optimization. Incidentally, what the basics are to you may not be basics to others. Basics to some are the correct use of LSI (latent semantic indexing), of internal linking strategies and of other techniques designed to lead search engine spiders by the hand and convince them that...

All of the different "types" of cancer can be deadly, that's a given. Even though survival rates tend to be much higher nowadays than they were perhaps twenty years ago, the fact is that a diagnosis of cancer can still be a death sentence and this is especially so when it affects the most vital components of the body. One such type of cancer that falls into this category is cancer of the blood, more commonly known as leukemia. Many people may not think of it this way, but, in simple terms, blood is the most important tissue of the body. It is effectively the conduit that connects all the other organs and tissues of the body together, carrying and supplying oxygen and other vital elements to even the...

Do you know what it feels like to be anxious? The nervousness, heart pounding and sweating before making a business call. The churning in your stomach before you ask the pretty girl out on a date. The tension you feel when you speak in front of a group. Anxiety for some of us is a good thing. It gets us ready to take action. It makes you study harder for an exam and keeps you alert when your making a presentation. Basically it helps us be in a peak state of performance - ready to go. That describes most of us. What about the 19.1 million people (13.3%) in the U.S. who have an anxiety disorder? Instead of being a helpful emotion, anxiety can disrupt normal every day actions and make a person afraid...

What makes a single mom struggling to start up a new business, adopt a hard-to-place, "special needs" child from another country? Why would a perfectly happy, healthy, and content family take on a Down syndrome child with heart complications, when the boy's own mother chose to give him up at 6 weeks of age? And why would a New York family rescue three frail and traumatized orphans from the ravages of Liberia's second civil war? We asked ourselves these questions as our foundation's Board reviewed the grant requests from these families. When most people hear the term 'adoption,' we tend to think about couples faced with infertility, or couples who are trying to put their step-families together to...

Cystic fibrosis is a life-threatening disease caused by a defective gene and affecting about 30,000 children in America. There is no cure for it so far, but there are lots of promising experiments and clinical studies going on to find a genetic therapy to cure cystic fibrosis. Humans transmit the genetic code to the next generation through DNA, containing 23 pairs of chromosomes. The seventh chromosome contains the defective gene that causes cystic fibrosis. There are over ten million Americans who this defective gene without having the disease. When both parents are carriers there is a 25% chance that the child will have a recessive gene; that is, the child has two copies of the defective gene from...

When you?re pregnant, you worry about every little thing that could go wrong. Thankfully, most babies are born healthy. There are, however, some serious birth disorders that you should be aware of, in the unlikely event that your baby is affected. ? Spina Bifida ? This is a condition where the backbone, which protects the spinal cord, does not close properly during prenatal development. This condition can range from being a minor problem, if the opening is tiny, or can cause paralysis and other serious medical issues if the opening is large, or if the spinal cord itself is protruding. The exact cause is not known, though heredity does seem to play a role. So does nutrition, particularly when the...

Periodontal disease or periodontitus is a disease of the connective tissue supporting the teeth which causes progressive bone loss and eventual loss of the teeth. The underlying cause of the disease is undisturbed bacteria growth, usually between the teeth or along the gum line. Severe forms of the disease will lead to loosening and loss of the teeth if untreated. While severe forms of the disease are uncommon, the milder forms occur in approximately 50% of the population over age 30 Periodontal disease is thought to occur more frequently in people who have been diagnosed with gingivitis in the past. Gingivitis is inflammation of the gum tissue. Other risk factors for periodontal disease...

Also known as ascorbic acid, vitamin C is a water-soluble vitamin. Contrary to many other animals, humans are unable to make their own in their bodies. Since this is the case we must have it in our diets. Vitamin C is needed in our diets to allow collagen synthesis. Collagen is an important blood vessel, ligament, tendon and bone structural component. The neurotransmitter 'norepinephrine' is able to be synthesized in the presence of this vitamin. Neurotransmitters are vital for proper brain functioning and are known to also affect mood. Vitamin C consumption also makes carnitine (essential for transporting fat to mitochondria in the body's cells) synthesis possible. Once in the mitochondria fat is...

True to its name, Irritable bowel syndrome, or IBS, is a disorder of the bowel. Some of its common symptoms include stomach pain, mucus in stool, lower abdominal cramps, inability to control the bowel movement, gas and alternate bouts of constipation and diarrhea. It is prevalent in all age groups from children to adolescents and adults. The symptoms might disappear suddenly or could reappear at any time in an individual's lifespan. Though IBS can result in great distress and inconvenience it is not life threatening like cancer or it causes any permanent damage to the stomach or intestines. It is estimated that one out of 10 people, seeking medical aid, suffer from this condition. Many fail to show...

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Leptin leapt into the headlines when it was identified in 1995 as a protein that triggers weight loss in mice. Leptin (the Greek term for thin) is a hormone released by your fat cells. When you lose fat, leptin levels drop and when you gain fat, leptin levels rise. Recent research into leptin has revealed what is likely to be very important in the control of appetite, weight loss and the regulation of body weight. Advances in leptin research and its role in the control of obesity would lead to reductions in diabetes, coronary heart disease and many forms of cancer, all of which are increased in obesity. American adults are overweight and more than 30 percent are obese. Currently 50 million Americans...

Diabetes was noticed by primordial civilizations and even treated in the Middle Ages; however the specific cause of this disease remains a mystery to modern day science. Also for unknown reasons, rates of diagnosis steadily increased over the last 20 years and the American Diabetes Association now declares diabetes an epidemic. Adequate care and funding for years was substandard despite the spike in diagnosis - and only recently has the bar been raised to where it is today. Through grassroots efforts, both international and national, the standard of care has been raised. This has been vital in the life expectancy, quality of life and equal opportunity employment for those affected by the disease...

Dads, if you're looking for a way to bond with your new baby, here it is! Many parents are discovering the art of teaching their baby to swim. Not only is it fun for your baby to swim, bond with you, and play with other babies, it is a great way for you to interact with other parents as well. It was only discovered in the 1960's that babies were able to swim independently underwater. But since then, it has been learned that it promotes self-confidence and personal development - physical and emotional. It gives your baby a calming, zero-gravity environment to move freely where they otherwise could not on land. This is incredibly beneficial to babies with Downs syndrome and cerebral palsy. The...

Down syndrome is the most commonly occurring genetic condition. One in every 800 to 1000 live births is a child with Down syndrome Down Syndrome is a genetic chromosomal syndrome affecting physical features and causing mental retardation. Down Syndrome is caused by having an extra third copy of chromosome 21. Down Syndrome can be diagnosed prenatally in the womb during pregnancy using several different tests including ultrasound, amniocentesis and CVS.Diagnosis after birth can usually be done from examining the baby's physical and facial features such as:# Flattened face# Snub nose# Flattened nasal bridge# Upward slanting eyes# Short neck# Enlarged and protruding tongue...

Based on the U.S. Department of Education's 2002 report to Congress on IDEA the number of students with autism in U.S. schools has increased by 1354% in an eight-year period from 1991-1992 to 2000-2001 (as cited by the Autism Society of America, 2003). This increase is almost fifty times higher than all disabilities (excluding autism), which has increased in the U.S. by 28.4%. From 1991-1992 to 2000-2001 school years, the number of students with autism that are being served under IDEA has increased from 5,415 to 78,749 respectively (as cited by Autism Society of America, 2003). According to the Center for Disease Control in 2001, autism affects an estimated 2 to 6 per 1,000 individuals and it is the...

When your child with Down Syndrome sleeps is his head bent back in an odd position? Is he waking frequently during the night, or is he a restless sleeper? Do you notice a lot of mouth breathing during the day, and at night? Read this for important information concerning Down Syndrome and Sleep Apnea. Obstructive Sleep Apnea occurs in over 50% of people with Down Syndrome. It has been recommended by U.S. researchers that all children with Down Syndrome be tested by the time they are three or four years of age. In children with heart problems, a common condition in Down Syndrome, the decreased oxygen levels in the blood caused by OSA can cause some serious complications...

Until now, prenatal diagnosis of Downs syndrome (Trisomy 21) for the unborn baby has required an invasive test. This has taken the form of an amniocentesis where fluid is taken from around the fetus in the womb after 14 weeks of gestation. The alternative, available about 3 weeks earlier is CVS where a tiny piece of the afterbirth (placenta) is extracted. Screening Tests The screening tests which are non-invasive have varying degrees of detection rates from a lowly 30% for maternal age alone to a clearly impressive 85% for a combination of maternal age, fetal nuchal translucency (scan) and maternal serum biochemistry at 11-14 weeks. This is called the Integrated Test. Research has also shown that...

Among the various diet medicines available today to make people slimmer, Acomplia diet tablets are very effective and popular. Acomplia was approved in UK as an appetite suppressant for treatment of obesity. It is one of very widely known diet pills which have been helping obese people to keep their fat under control. Acomplia diet pills are available in strength of 20 milligram. It is to satisfy needs and aspirations of different people. People should take the Acomplia diet pills in empty stomach at least one and a half hour before breakfast. This drug is not recommended for use among children. Acomplia diet tablets function as an appetite suppressant and gives the best result when it is taken in...

Based on the U.S. Department of Education?s 2002 report to Congress on IDEA the number of students with autism in U.S. schools has increased by 1354% in an eight-year period from 1991-1992 to 2000-2001 (as cited by the Autism Society of America, 2003). This increase is almost fifty times higher than all disabilities (excluding autism), which has increased in the U.S. by 28.4%. From 1991-1992 to 2000-2001 school years, the number of students with autism that are being served under IDEA has increased from 5,415 to 78,749 respectively (as cited by Autism Society of America, 2003). According to the Center for Disease Control in 2001, autism affects an estimated 2 to 6 per 1,000 individuals and it is the...

With the plethora of advice available on the internet relating to giving birth it would be easy for new moms to become overwhelmed with information regarding breastfeeding and diet. Breastfeeding is hard enough anyway - you've just given birth after being pregnant for 9 months, your whole world has been turned upside down and you have a screaming child demanding food every 2-3 hours. Firstly let me say congratulations and I sincerely wish you the very best and most special times with the new addition to your family. Secondly, and I know this might not be the easiest, is try not to panic about every aspect of bringing up your child - there are no hard and fast rules as each of us is unique. Following...

As parents we all want to believe that our children are perfect and we want the very best for them. How would you feel if you learned that your child suffered from Autism? As a parent of three children I am still in denial after learning that my youngest has characteristics in the Autism Spectrum. What exactly does this mean? Well, doctors have said to me that this means he has a few of the autism symptoms, but he is not exactly or totally autistic. He may start out slow (in some areas), but in a few years he could catch up with the other kids in the areas he was lagging in. What does this mean? Plain and simple it means there is hope. My son has delayed speech and withdraws from social interaction...

Maternal health and fetal complications are at a much greater risk in women with diabetes who are pregnant. Even the stress of a pregnancy can bring about gestational diabetes, which is a form of glucose intolerance that begins during the pregnancy and resolves itself after the birth of the baby. Whether there is preexisting diabetes or gestational diabetes there is an increased risk of fetal congenital defects and death from hyperglycemia, or abnormally high blood sugar, which must be controlled. Any woman with diabetes that is pregnant should get some form of nutritional counseling from a registered dietician. There are many changes that occur during a pregnancy that can have detrimental effects...

Pediatric Physical Therapy is the special field of physical therapy that assists in the early detection of illness in children and uses a variety of methods of treatment. Licensed practitioners of pediatric physical therapy perform diagnosis, treatment proper, and health supervision of infants, children, and adolescents with a variety of developmental, neuromuscular, skeletal, or acquired health disorders. The role that physical therapists play in the rehabilitation of pediatric diseases could not be dejected as much as much as those of the special role of the pediatrician of child psychologist. Children with developmental delays or congenital and non congenital conditions - cerebral palsy, down...

The early developing years are the most important in a child's life, which is why pediatric physical therapy is so important for children who are injured. This type of pediatric rehabilitation is dedicated to diagnosing, treating and supervising children who have developmental, neuromuscular, skeletal and acquired health disorders. Physical therapy rehabilitation can treat these illnesses and injuries so the child has the best chance possible of leading a normal life. Conditions such as cerebral palsy, Down syndrome, spina bifida, and torticollis are often treated with pediatric physical therapy. Even children without special needs can benefit from pediatric rehabilitation if they're injured while...