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Updated: Jul 4, 2026
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Published on: June 1, 2015
Developmental Trajectories of Locomotor Skills in Infants With Down Syndrome
Ellen N Sutter1, Ashley N Collimore-Doherty, Erin Wilkerson
1Department of Physical Therapy, Sargent College of Health & Rehabilitation Sciences, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts (Drs Sutter, Collimore-Doherty, Wilkerson, and Iverson); and Department of Pediatrics, Anna and John J. Sie Center for Down Syndrome, Children's Hospital Colorado, University of Colorado, Aurora, Colorado (Dr Baumer).
Purpose:
Independent locomotion has cascading impacts on overall infant development. Although infants with Down syndrome (DS) attain locomotor milestones later, it is unknown how they use emerging skills (e.g., creeping and walking) in everyday play.
Methods:
This longitudinal observational study used behavioral coding to investigate locomotion quantity and type during play in infants with DS (n = 13), and changes with the acquisition of new motor skills. The amount of time locomoting was compared with 25 typically developing infants.
Results:
Infants with DS spent less time locomoting than typically developing infants, and their locomotion time changed less with age and motor skill level. Infants with DS also continued to rely on floor mobility skills even after attaining upright locomotor skills.
Conclusions:
Detailed behavioral coding identified differences in real-world locomotion used by infants with DS with potential implications for motor skill learning and development.
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