Children With Down Syndrome: An Introduction
For children with
Down syndrome and their parents, there are a number of medical and educational issues to be aware of during childhood.
Medical Issues for Children With Down Syndrome
Medical care for children with Down syndrome should include the same well-baby care that other children receive during the first years of life, as well as attention to some problems that are more common in children with Down syndrome. If heart, digestive, orthopedic, or other medical conditions were identified during the neonatal period, these problems should continue to be monitored.
Leukemia
During the early years of life, children with Down syndrome are 10 to 15 times more likely than other children to develop
leukemia, a potentially fatal disease. These children should receive an appropriate cancer therapy, such as chemotherapy.
Myelodysplasia
Babies with Down syndrome are also more susceptible to transient myelodysplasia, or the defective development of the spinal cord.
Infections
Compared to the general population, children with Down syndrome have a twelvefold higher mortality rate from infectious diseases, if these infections are left untreated and unmonitored. These infections are due to abnormalities in their immune systems, usually the T cell and antibody-mediated immunity functions that fight off infections. With Down syndrome, children are also more likely to develop:
- Chronic respiratory infections
- Middle ear infections
- Recurrent tonsillitis.
In addition, there is a 62-fold higher incidence of pneumonia in children with Down syndrome than in the general population.
