Down subjects and Oriental population share several specific attitudes and characteristics☆

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Summary

Down’s syndrome is characterized not only by a typical “habitus”, mental retardation of variable gravity and several alterations of the cardiovascular, respiratory, gastrenteric and immunitary system, but also by specific attitudes and characteristics that are in common with the Oriental population. Starting from the origin of the term mongolism, replaced with other terms such as Trisomy 21, Down’s syndrome, and anomaly of Down because of the racist use made in the last century, we propose, in the light of modern knowledge about the heredity of features, a reflection on those aspects and attitudes which highlight a very particular twinning between a Down person and Asiatic peoples.

Introduction

Down’s syndrome is a condition characterized by a typical “habitus” and a mental retardation of variable gravity. The face is oriental: the fissures of eyes are oblique and present the epicantus; the nose is short and the root is flat, the knape of the neck is flat and covered with very loose skin and subcutaneous. The limbs are short and stocky and a marked laxity of ligaments is present. Several alterations of the cardiovascular, respiratory, gastrenteric and immunitary system can be associated. In addition, specific attitudes and characteristics may be shown evidences.

Section snippets

Origin of term “Mongolism”

The first description of Down’s syndrome dates back to 1846 when Seguin [1] spoke about a “furfuraceous cretinism”. In 1866 John Langdon Haydon Down published an ethnic classification of idiotis. In this classification, the author distinguished the idiotis according to an ethnic typology: the Ethiopic, the Caucasian, the mongoloid. Therefore for the first time the term “mongolism” appeared [2].

Today this syndrome is nominated with other terms such as Trisomy 21, Down’s syndrome, anomaly of Down.

Down peoples and Asiatic peoples

The strong characteristic, that leads Langdon to compare the Down population to the Asiatic one, is the eyes with a typical almond-form. However, it is possible to highlight other aspects of Down subjects which remind the Asiatic population, such as fine and straight hair, the distribution of apparatus piliferous, which appears to be sparse.

Some attitudes and any daily habitus observed in Down subjects, recall those of the oriental population.

Down persons during waiting periods, when they get

Conclusion

These observations might highlight very interesting aspects connected to the supernumerary chromosome 21 in Down’s syndrome, whereas they are natural features of Asians. It would be just as interesting to understand why the chromosome should be in triple copy to express “these coincidences” in the Down subject, whereas it is sufficient in double copy in Asians, who do not show mental retardation or malformation in various organs or systems.

Furthermore, it may be interesting to know the gravity

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Role of the funding source: support was provided solely from departmental sources.

1

Medical Doctor, Resident in Anesthesia Intensive Care.

2

Medical Doctor, Research Professor Anesthesia Intensive Care.

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