GiGi’s Playhouse Opens in Buffalo

This is great! A facility that supports persons with Down Syndrome. GiGi's Playhouse Down Syndrome Achievement Center is a welcome addition to the Buffalo community.  Gigi's Playhouse Down Syndrome Achievement Center's mission is to change the way Americans, according to their website,  According to WIVB, there are 49 Gigi Playhouses across the country and Mexico.

Down Syndrome happens when a person has an extra chromosome, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)   Te article explains that chromosomes determine how a baby forms in the womb and that normally a baby is born with 46 chromosomes, while babies born with Down Syndrome have two of one of those 46 chromosomes, chromosome #21.  According to the CDC article, Down Syndrome is also referred to as Trisomy 21.

Common physical features that can be a sign of Down Syndrome are as follows, according to the CDC (Center for Disease Control) article

A flattened face, especially the bridge of the nose

Almond-shaped eyes that slant up

A short neck

Small ears

A tongue that tends to stick out of the mouth

Tiny white spots on the iris (colored part) of the eye

Small hands and feet

A single line across the palm of the hand (palmar crease)

Small pinky fingers that sometimes curve toward the thumb

Poor muscle tone or loose joints

Shorter in height as children and adults