Early play behaviour in children with 5p- (Cri-du-Chat) syndrome

5p- (Cri-du-Chat) syndrome (5p-S) is a well defined chromosomal condition. While the physical symptoms have frequently been documented, the developmental and behavioural aspects of the syndrome have not been explored adequately, especially in young children.

Mental level, and complexity and style of play were analysed in 10 children who were homogeneously selected with respect to their chronological age (range = 2-7 years).

A high rate of distractability and a low level of object-directed behaviours were observed in the play sessions. The findings were compared to two comparison groups (subjects with Down's syndrome or Cornelia-de-Lange syndrome) matched for mental age in order to analyse the specificity of these behavioural features for young children with 5p-S.

A low level of object-directed behaviours may be an early precursor of hyperactivity, distractability and stereotypy, which have been reported to be the characteristic features of the behavioural phenotype of older individuals with 5p-S.