What are the physical symptoms of the disease?

Some of the distinctive facial features of a DS kid include: flat face, upwardly slanted eyes, small hands and feet, low muscle tone, abnormally shaped ears, a short neck, white spots on the irises, and a deep crease in the palm of the hand. Most DS kids are also at risk for several other health problems like cataracts, slight to severe mental retardation, skeletal problems, celiac disease*, and a couple others.

*Celiac disease is a gluten allergy that often shows up during early infancy. The child’s immune system reacts to the gluten, and messes with its gut and causes digestive problems and general discomfort. Celiac can also cause weight loss.