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Effects of early physical therapy on motor development in children with Down syndrome
Feyzullah Necati Arslan1, Derya Gumus Dogan2, Sinem Kortay Canaloglu2
1Division of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, Department of Pediatrics, Necip Fazil City Hospital, Kahramanmaras, Turkey.
Insights
Physical therapy (PT) significantly improves gross and fine motor development in children with Down syndrome (DS). Early intervention, particularly before age one, yields the best outcomes for children with DS receiving PT.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Developmental Neuroscience
- Rehabilitation Medicine
Background:
- Down syndrome (DS) is associated with motor development delays.
- Early intervention is crucial for optimizing developmental outcomes in children with DS.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare motor development in children with Down syndrome (DS) who received physical therapy (PT) versus those who did not.
- To evaluate the impact of initiating PT before one year of age on motor development in children with DS.
Main Methods:
- A cohort of 58 children with DS, aged 6-42 months, was divided into PT and non-PT groups.
- Children receiving PT were further categorized by the age of PT initiation (before or after one year).
- Motor development was assessed using the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development III (BSID-III).
Main Results:
- Children receiving PT demonstrated significantly higher gross motor scaled scores (GM-SS), fine motor scaled scores (FM-SS), and composite scores compared to the non-PT group (p<0.05).
- Children who started PT before one year of age showed statistically significant higher GM-SS, FM-SS, and composite scores than those who started PT after one year (p<0.05).
Conclusions:
- Physical therapy positively impacts gross and fine motor development in children with DS.
- Initiating PT before one year of age is recommended for children with DS to maximize developmental benefits.
Objective:
The objective of the study was to compare the motor development of children with Down syndrome (DS) who received physical therapy (PT) and did not receive PT, and to show the effect of PT programs started before the age of one on movement development.
Methods:
The study included aged between 6 and 42 months, 58 children with DS. Children with DS were divided into two groups as receiving PT and non-receiving PT. Children with DS who received PT were further divided into two groups according to the age of starting PT as before and after 1 year of age. Gross motor and fine motor development of the cases were evaluated with Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development III.
Results:
Gross motor scaled scores (GM-SS: 3.88±3.46-1.67±1.23), fine motor scaled scores (FM-SS: 4.29±3.24-1.79±0.93), and composite scores (64.4±19.5-50.38±5.38) of PT group were statistically higher than the non-PT group (p<0.05). In addition, GM-SS (5.22±4.23-2.38±1.20), FM-SS; (5.61±3.85-2.81±1.37), and composite scores (72.33±23.85-55.56±5.7) of the cases who started PT before the age of one were statistically higher than those who started after the age of one (p<0.05).
Conclusion:
Our results revealed that PT especially when started early childhood under had a positive effect on the development of gross and fine motor in children with DS and provided a scientific basis for referring children with DS to PT programs before the age of one. Clinicians should recommend PT for children with DS in the early period.
