Factores que influyen en el desarrollo motor de los niños con síndrome de Down

Abstract

The psychomotor development in children with Down syndrome is affected by the physical and in the psychical point of view. The motor development in a child with Down syndrome is defined by a delay in the attainment of the gross motility items, developed in non-impaired children, during the first year, such as the acquisition of standing, sitting, crawling, reaching, rolling and walking. Furthermore, alterations in fine motility, visual motor control, speed, muscular strength and static and dynamic balance can appear. Motor development is hindered to a large extent by hypotonic and ligament laxity and by constitutional problems like the small length of upper and lower limbs in relation with the trunk. Another reason for the delayed acquisition of motor items can be the medical problems related to the syndrome, such as cardiac, stomach, intestinal and respiratory problems and infections in the auditory canal. Frequently, people with Down syndrome show alteration in their locomotor system due to an association between muscular hypotonic and joint laxity. This is the reason why the joint instability is increased, since the function of the soft joint tissues is decreased. This causes the joints which undergo a more continuous load (hips, knees, feet) or a great mobility (atlas-axis joint) to be more affected.