Children with Down syndrome are usually identified shortly after birth due to their physical characteristics associated with the syndrome.
Some of the most frequent physical traits include:
- Oblique eyes, pulled upwards; Nose small and slightly flattened; Mouth small but with tongue larger than normal; Ears lower than normal; Only one line on the palm; Wide hands with short fingers; Increased space between thumb and the other toes.
However, some of these characteristics can also be present in newborns who do not have the syndrome and can vary widely among people with the syndrome. Thus, the best way to confirm the diagnosis is to carry out a genetic examination, in order to identify the existence of the 3 copies of chromosome 21.
Common health problems
In addition to the common physical characteristics, people with Down syndrome are even more likely to have heart problems, such as heart failure, for example, or thyroid diseases, such as hypothyroidism.
In almost half of the cases, there are still changes in the eyes that can include strabismus, difficulty seeing from a distance or close up, and even cataracts.
As most of these problems are not easy to identify in the first few days, it is common for pediatricians to do several tests during childhood, such as ultrasound, echocardiography or blood tests, to identify if there is an associated disease.
Learn more about the tests recommended for children with Down syndrome.
Cognitive characteristics
All children with Down syndrome have some degree of delay in intellectual development, especially in skills such as:
- Arriving objects; Be attentive; Stay seated; Walk; Speak and learn.
The degree of these difficulties can vary from case to case, however, all children will eventually learn these skills, although they may take longer than another child without the syndrome.
To shorten the learning time, these children can participate in speech therapy sessions with the speech therapist, so that they are encouraged to express themselves earlier, facilitating the process of learning to speak, for example.
Watch the following video and find out what activities help to stimulate the baby with Down Syndrome:
