RIYADH: The number of children below 17 years of age with Down syndrome in Saudi Arabia stood at 20,000, a pediatric specialist said.
Dr. Khaled Aldagam, head of the department of general pediatrics at King Fahd Medical City (KFMC), cited data released by the Arab Center for Genetic Studies which has said there was one case of Down syndrome in every 554 births in the Kingdom.
Addressing an event on the global day of Down syndrome at KFMC, Aldagam said that Down syndrome happens when a person has extra
or abnormal chromosomes; a normal person has 46 chromosomes whereas most people with Down syndrome have 47.
He said Down syndrome is a genetic disorder in which a third copy of chromosome 21 is present in cells because of abnormal cell division when the egg and sperm first meet. This will lead to genetic disorder in the body or brain development of a child, he said.
He said the global rate of Down syndrome is one case out of every 900 births. He said one of major causes of the syndrome is pregnancy at late ages and, accordingly, a first pregnancy at the age of 30 carries the ratio of one case of Down syndrome in every 900 births.
However, if a woman married over 40 years, the ratio rises to one case in every 100 births, and after 45 years the ratio jumps to one case in every 30 births, he said.
20,000 children suffering from Down syndrome, says expert
20,000 children suffering from Down syndrome, says expert
Ramadan recipes: Roasted seabass in a delicious tomato sauce
DUBAI: Chef Elias of Dubai’s La Maison Ani shares the recipe for a refined Mediterranean dish that highlights simplicity, balance and freshness.
Roasted seabass
2 seabass fillets
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tbsp olive oil
¾ cup tomato sauce
2 tsp lemon juice
1 tbsp capers
½ small yellow courgette, thinly sliced
¼ small green courgette, thinly sliced
Fresh basil leaves
Fresh chives
Lemon zest
Sumac rice
¾ cup cooked sumac rice
Tomato sauce
2 cups diced ripe tomatoes (fresh or canned)
½ small white onion, finely diced
1 small garlic clove, minced
3 tbsp olive oil
2 bay leaves
2 tsp sugar
¾ tsp salt
½ cup water
Sumac rice
1¼ cups basmati rice
1¾ cups chicken stock
1 tsp salt
1½ tbsp sumac
3 tbsp butter
2 tsp grated garlic
Method
Seabass
Season the seabass fillets with salt and pepper. Heat olive oil in a pan over medium-high heat. Sear the fish skin-side down for 3 minutes, flip and cook for 1 minute. Transfer to a preheated oven at 180 C and bake for 5 minutes.
Courgettes
Season the sliced courgettes with salt. Sear in a hot pan for 2–3. Finish with a squeeze of lemon juice.
Tomato sauce
Heat olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and cook gently until soft. Add water and let it reduce. Add tomatoes, bay leaves, sugar and salt. Bring to a simmer and cook for 20–25 minutes, until thickened.
Sumac rice
Rinse rice until the water runs clear. Add rice, chicken stock and salt to a pot. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and cook for 15 minutes. Melt butter in a pan, add garlic and cook gently for 2 minutes. Stir in sumac. Fold the butter mixture through the rice gently.
To serve
Spoon warm tomato sauce onto each plate. Place the seabass on top and arrange the courgettes over the fish. Serve with sumac rice on the side.
