The Oxford Dictionary defines the word syndrome as “a group of concurrent symptoms of a disease”. This is expanded in the medical field to be a grouping or relationship of a number of medically identifiable characteristics or symptoms that occur together. Oftentimes the detection of one of these symptoms leads to the discovery of others, which can then in turn lead to the diagnosis of a particular syndrome.
A syndrome then is an illness or disorder that has many identifying characteristics or symptoms. Each syndrome (that we know about and have given a name to) has multiple features according to the developmental areas that have been affected by the particular disorder.
What Are The Characteristics Of Syndromes?
A notable characteristic of many syndromes seems to be learning disability. Some children born with certain genetic flaws such as neurological disorders, physical deformities and/or defective organs (heart, brain, kidneys) may have a genetic syndrome that actually goes unnoticed for several years. Indeed it can often be the case that a syndrome only becomes evident when a child does not appear to be developing at the same rate as its peers. The diagnosis of certain syndromes can be devastating for parents who have believed their child to be perfectly healthy due to the apparent absence of abnormal developmental or physical behaviors.
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