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On Sunday, March 21, 2021, we celebrate the World Down Syndrome Day or Trisomy 21.

A Down Syndrome International He proposed March 21 as the World Down Syndrome DayTrisomy 21 for very specific reasons. Day 21 corresponds to the chromosome that is altered and month 3 corresponds to the three alleles. The first celebration of this day took place in 2006 and was adopted by the United Nations in its official calendar, being celebrated every year in about 193 countries.

This day serves above all to draw everyone's attention to the importance of society opening the doors to people with Trisomy 21, facing them with the respect, naturalness and solidarity that is due to them, giving them opportunities for equality.

Trisomy 21 is a genetic disorder caused by the presence of an extra allele on chromosome 21. Instead of two, there are three alleles.

In Portugal, statistics tell us that one in eight hundred babies is born with trisomy 21. It is believed that there are about fifteen thousand people with this syndrome in the country.

Currently, it is not yet known the cause of the appearance of the third allele, regardless of age, can be mother or father of a baby with Trisomy 21. Statistics indicate that there is a higher incidence in children generated by mothers over thirty-five years of age.

It is characterized by a delay in physical and mental development and by changes in body and facial structure. When not identified in the prenatal period, it is usually identified at birth. It is important to carry out the so-called Prenatal Diagnosis, which aims to assess the degree of risk of the baby.

For more information about this event you can consult the website of the World Down Syndrome Day and United Nations portal.