Developmental assessment of children with Down syndrome

Abstract

Aim: Morbidity and mortality of children with Down syndrome (DS) have decreased and their quality of life has increased with modernmedicine. The purpose of this study is to assess the developmental characteristics and activities of children with DS and also theirparticipation to life, the environmental factors, the services they receive and their health and sociodemographic characteristics byusing Expanded Guide for Monitoring Child Development (E-GMCD)Material and Methods: Children diagnosed with DS who were admitted to hospital were assessed with E-GMCD. Health informationand the family’s sociodemographic features were supplied from families and hospital files.Results: The study included a total of 100 children diagnosed with DS, 41 girls and 59 boys, who were between 2-59 months ofage. The mothers of the 63 children stated that they were concerned about their children’s learning, motor skills, communication,relationships with others, and senses (sense of hearing and seeing). Of the 57 (81%) children were found to have delay in expressivelanguage and were older than 1 year old (p0.05). A majority of children who received specialized education and physiotherapywere between ages of 2 and 4.Conclusion: Children with DS should be monitored regularly beginning from the day they are born. These children should get earlyeducation to speed up their cognitive development. Family centered early support programs should start as early as possible.