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Habitual lip and tongue posture in infants with Trisomy 21: characterization and associated factors

Letícia Pereira Quintaes Godinho1, Larissa Melgaço Campos2, Andréa Rodrigues Motta2,3

  • 1Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais - UFMG - Belo Horizonte (MG), Brasil.

Codas
|June 24, 2026
PubMed

Insights

Infants with trisomy 21 often exhibit parted lips and tongue-in-mouth posture. Better lip posture correlated with younger age and higher birth weight, while breastfeeding was linked to improved tongue posture in these infants.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Dentistry
  • Genetics
  • Developmental Pediatrics

Background:

  • Infants with trisomy 21 (Down syndrome) often present with distinct oral motor characteristics.
  • Understanding habitual lip and tongue posture is crucial for monitoring oral development and potential interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To characterize habitual lip and tongue posture in infants with trisomy 21.
  • To investigate associations between these postures and factors like age, sex, and clinical conditions.

Main Methods:

  • An observational, cross-sectional study analyzed videos of 61 infants with trisomy 21 (mean age 7.4 months).
  • Habitual lip and tongue postures were assessed from video recordings.
  • Data on age, sex, birth weight, and clinical factors were collected and analyzed using descriptive statistics and chi-square tests.

Main Results:

  • Parted lips (48.2%) and tongue inside the oral cavity (32.4%) were the most frequent postures.
  • Lip posture showed associations with age and birth weight.
  • Tongue posture was associated with breastfeeding status.

Conclusions:

  • Younger age and higher birth weight were linked to better lip posture in infants with trisomy 21.
  • Breastfeeding was associated with improved tongue posture.
  • These findings highlight potential factors influencing oral posture in this population.
Abstract

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