The psychomotor development of babies with Down syndrome is slower than babies of the same age, but with proper early stimulation, which normally begins at 3 months, these babies may be able to sit, crawl, walk and talk, but if they If they are not encouraged to do so, these developmental milestones will happen even later.
It is important that the baby’s development is monitored by a pediatrician, physiotherapist and speech therapist, as this way it is possible to guarantee that his development is happening in a healthy way, as well as promoting the strengthening of muscles related to swallowing and speech, and favoring the balance. See more about Down syndrome.
Baby development
The muscle tone of children with Down syndrome is weaker, this situation being called hypotonia, which can make the baby take a little longer to hold their head alone and, therefore, parents must be very careful and Always support the baby’s neck to avoid cervical dislocation and even spinal cord injury.
The psychomotor development of children with Down Syndrome is a little slower and therefore it may take them a while to sit, crawl and walk, but treatment with psychomotor physiotherapy can help them reach these developmental milestones more quickly. Thus, the average time to perform some movements for children with Down syndrome who undergo physiotherapy sessions are:
This table reflects the need for psychomotor stimulation for babies with Down syndrome and this type of treatment must be carried out by the physiotherapist and the psychomotorist, although motor stimulation carried out by parents at home is equally beneficial and complements the stimulation that the baby with Down syndrome Down needs daily.
When a child does not undergo physiotherapy, this period can be much longer and the child may only start walking around 3 years of age, which can harm their interaction with other children of the same age.
Physiotherapy for Down syndrome
Physiotherapy to help with the baby’s development is indicated from the 3rd month of life, with around 2 to 3 sessions per week, in which exercises are carried out, in the form of games, which aim to stimulate the child early so that be able to hold your head, roll over, sit, stand and walk faster.
Physiotherapy includes ground therapy and psychomotor stimulation, where objects such as mirrors, balls, foam, tatami, circuits and various educational toys are used that stimulate the senses. Its main benefits are:
- Combat hypotoniawhich is when the child has reduced muscle strength, and is always very soft;
- Promote motor development and help the child learn to hold their head, sit, roll over, stand and walk;
- Develop or improve balance in different postures, such as sitting and standing, so that he does not stagger when he tries to stand or needs to walk with his eyes closed, for example;
- Treating scoliosispreventing the spine from becoming too damaged and making posture changes difficult.
The Bobath technique is also a good way to stimulate the development of children with Down Syndrome and consists of exercises performed on the floor or with a ball, which work both sides of the body and the contralateral side in order to improve the development of the nervous system. of child.
Read too: 8 treatments for Down syndrome
The use of bandages, which are a type of colored adhesive tape that is applied to the skin, is also a resource that can be used to facilitate learning tasks such as being able to sit alone, for example. In this case, the bandage can be applied across the child’s belly so that it is more firm and can lift the trunk off the floor, as to carry out this movement you need good control of the abdominal muscles, which are generally very weak in the case of the syndrome. of Down.
Exercises to help with development
Exercises to help with the development of a baby with Down syndrome must be recommended by a physiotherapist, as they must be individualized, as each child has different characteristics and needs. However, in general, some objectives and examples of exercises are:
- Place the baby sitting on your lap and attract his attention with a mirror or toy that makes sounds, so he can hold his head when he is sitting;
- Place the baby lying on his stomach and attract his attention, calling his name so he can look up;
- Place the baby lying on his back with a toy that he really likes next to him so that he can turn over to pick it up;
- Placing the baby in a hammock or on a swing, moving him slowly from one side to the other, which helps to calm and organize the labyrinth in the brain;
- Sit on the sofa and leave the baby on the floor and then attract his attention so that he wants to get up, supporting his body weight on a sofa, which strengthens his legs so he can walk.
Check out the following video for some exercise options that can help your baby’s development:
How to stimulate speech
It is normal for children with Down syndrome to have difficulty sucking, swallowing, chewing and controlling the movements of their lips and tongue. Therefore, some exercises can be carried out, recommended by the speech therapist, which can help stimulate the child’s speech:
- Stimulate the sucking reflex, using a pacifier so that the baby can learn to suck. The baby should be breastfed, preferably, and parents should insist even if they see that this is a great difficulty, because it is a huge muscular effort for the baby;
- Pass a soft toothbrush inside your mouthon the baby’s gums, cheeks and tongue every day so that he moves his mouth, opening and closing his lips;
- Wrap your finger with gauze and gently pass it inside your mouth of the baby. You can moisten the gauze with water and gradually vary the flavors, moistening it with liquid gelatin of different flavors;
- Play with the baby making sounds so that he may imitate;
- Talking a lot to the baby so that he can participate in all activities that involve music, sounds and conversations;
- In children over 6 months, they can be used cups with different spouts, anatomical spoons and straws of different sizes to feed.
These exercises stimulate the muscles and also the Central Nervous System, which is still in formation, being a great stimulus that helps develop the baby’s abilities.
How should the diet be
A baby with Down syndrome can breastfeed, however, due to the size of the tongue, it may be difficult to coordinate sucking with breathing, which can cause the muscles to become tired faster, making it difficult to breastfeed. .
It is important that breastfeeding is always practiced, as it can help the baby to strengthen the facial muscles that will help him perform the sucking movement. However, the woman can also express the milk with a pump and then offer it to the baby with a bottle.
Exclusive breastfeeding is also recommended until 6 months, when other foods can be introduced. Check out the complete breastfeeding guide for beginners.
