Down Syndrome: An Informative Essay Down Syndrome is the name for babies born with a disorder related to their chromosomes. It is caused when meiosis occurs and an error occurs in the cells development. The reason for this defect is often because the parent is over 40 or for some other reason their meiosis is not "Up to par." The actual defect is an extra chromosome is developed during cell development. The abnormal development results in 47 chromosomes rather than the usual 46 (23 from each parent). This extra gene causes problems in the child's physical and mental development. There are an estimated 5000 babies with Down Syndrome born in A