After knowing that the baby has Down syndrome, parents should calm down and look for the most information about Down syndrome, what its characteristics are, what health problems the baby may face, and what treatment options can help promote independence and improve their child’s quality of life..
There are associations of parents such as APAE, where it is possible to find quality and reliable information, but also professionals and therapies that may be indicated to help the development of your child, in this type of association it is also possible to find other children with the syndrome and their parents, which can be useful to know the limitations and possibilities that the person with Down syndrome may have.
- A person’s life expectancy has a variable range and can be influenced by birth defects.
- Such as heart and respiratory abnormalities.
- And appropriate medical follow-up is performed.
- In the past.
- In many cases.
- Life expectancy did not exceed 40 years.
- But today.
- With advances in medicine and improved treatments.
- A person with Down syndrome can live more than 70 years.
After the child’s diagnosis with Down syndrome has been confirmed, your doctor may order additional tests, if necessary, such as: a cariotype to be performed up to the 1st year of life, echocardiogram, blood formula, and thyroid hormones T3, T4, and TSH.
The following table shows the tests to be performed and at what stage they should be performed during the life of the person with Down syndrome:
The echocardiogram should only be repeated if heart abnormalities are detected, but the frequency should be indicated by the cardiologist accompanying the person with Down syndrome.
Childbirth of a baby with Down syndrome may be normal or natural, however, it is necessary for the cardiologist and neonatologist to be available, if it was born before the scheduled date, and for this reason, parents sometimes opt for a C-section., as these doctors are not always available at any time in hospitals.
Learn what you can do to recover faster from a C-section
The person with Down syndrome is more likely to have health problems such as:
For this reason, it is necessary to have a lifetime medical follow-up, performing tests and treatments each time any of these changes appear.
The child’s muscle tone is lower and the baby may take a little longer to hold the head alone, so parents should be very careful and always support the baby’s neck to avoid cervical upset and even a spinal cord injury.
The psychomotor development of the child with Down syndrome is a little slower and can therefore take some time to sit, crawl and walk, but psychotherapy therapy can help him achieve these stages of development faster.This video contains some exercises that can help you keep your workout at home:
Until age 2, your baby tends to have frequent episodes of flu, colds, gastroesophageal reflux disease, and may have pneumonia and other respiratory diseases if not treated properly.These babies can get the flu shot every year and usually get the respiratory syncytial virus.vaccine at birth to prevent the flu.
The child with Down syndrome may start talking later, after age 3, but speech therapy can help a lot by shortening this time by making it easier for the child to communicate with family and friends.
The baby with Down syndrome may breastfeed but due to tongue size, difficulty coordinating suction with breathing and rapidly getting tired muscles, may have difficulty breastfeeding, although with a little training and patience he may also be able to do so.exclusively breastfeed.
This training is important and can help the baby strengthen facial muscles which will help him speak faster, but in any case the mother can also extract milk with a milk extractor and then offer it to the baby with a milk extractor.Bottle.
See the complete breastfeeding guide for beginners
Exclusive breastfeeding is also recommended up to 6 months, when other foods can be introduced.You should always prefer healthy foods, avoiding sodas, fats and frying, for example.
Children with Down syndrome can study in regular schools, but those with major learning difficulties or mental retardation benefit from special school.Activities such as physical education and art education are always welcome and help people understand their feelings and express themselves better.
The person with Down syndrome is kind, outgoing, sociable and is also able to learn, can study and can even go to college and work.There are stories of students who have done ENEM, who have gone to college and who have been able to get out, have sex and even get married and the couple can live alone, relying only on mutual support.
As the person with Down syndrome tends to gain weight, regular physical activity brings many benefits, such as maintaining ideal weight, increasing muscle strength, preventing joint injuries and socializing, but to ensure safety when practicing activities such as gym, bodybuilding, swimming, horseback riding.your doctor may order x-ray exams more often to evaluate your cervical spine, which may be dislocated, for example.
The boy with Down syndrome is almost always infertile, but girls with Down syndrome may become pregnant but have a high chance of having a baby with the same syndrome.