BAGUIO CITY – A geneticist of the Baguio General Hospital and Medical Center (BGHMC) clarified that the earlier reported increase in down syndrome cases is not intended to threaten the public but instead create awareness about the said condition to better understand their condition and support the families caring for them.
BGHMC geneticist Dr. Mary Erika Orteza said that down syndrome is a condition and not a disease, not an infection and not a communicable disease like dengue fever, COVID-19, measles among others that the public needs to be warned on the increase in cases or warn them for safety and health precautions to prevent the same.
She claimed that down syndrome individuals are just there present in the society but the families and the society are not aware of their condition to the point that they are stigmatized, called by names like ‘mongoloid, ada kurkurang na’ referred by others as special child and some are being bullied because of lack of awareness.
The BGHMC geneticist said that based on their census, the genetics out-patient department is already receiving referrals from other departments and other hospitals in the north because the down syndrome patients need further medical attention and a multidisciplinary team approach, thus, there is now an increasing number of patients being referred which is a positive sign because gradually, the family of the down syndrome patients can already have a better understanding of their condition.
Orteza emphasized the genetic counselling is also being provided to the family and it follows later on the down syndrome patients for better monitoring.
She admitted that there is also an increase in the census of down syndrome patients being assisted by the city’s Persons with Disability Affairs Office (PDAO) and they are being given PWD identification cards.
The medical officer said that down syndrome is a condition with many medical problems where they have dysmorphic features, development delays, intellectual disabilities, some may have cardiac or gastro-intestinal problems that need surgical intervention and other problems that need laboratory tests and referrals to sub-specialties.
She asserted that the majority of down syndrome is not inherited and that the cause of the condition is due to an extra number of chromosomes in an individual. By Dexter A. See
