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Down Syndrome Community

This forum is for questions and support regarding Down Syndrome issues such as Dental Problems, Communication Problems, Developmental Disabilities, Hearing Loss, Hypothyroidism, Immune System Problems, Learning Disabilities, Joint Problems, Muscle Weakness, Respiratory Disorders, Seizures, Sleep Apnea, Weight Problems.
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MedHelp Member's Question

Growth and development

by dad777, Oct 10, 2007 11:30AM
At what age can you stop worrying about your child having Down Syndrome?  Is this noticeable at birth?  My wife had her 1st ultrasound and the technician noticed an echogenic foci in the left ventricle.  No other markers were found.  A second ultrasound revealed no other markers.  My son just turned 7 months and he has been developing great so far.  Should I still worry if he has Down Syndrome?  Should our pediatrician have noticed anything?
Member Comments (21)

by SimplyStar, Oct 10, 2007 12:43PM
To: dad777
I have a 37 year old son with Downs, we could tell at birth.  There are many tell tale signs that are visable to the doctors , so if at 7 months no pediatrician has said anything,  I would doubt very much that your son has Downs.  My son developed very slowly, it was past two years before he walked. He is now a great guy, lives with me, works every day at a local facility for people with disabilities, very independent.  If your son is crawling now, pulling himself up, this is normal growth. Good luck with your son. I would just like to thank MedHelp for adding this forum, I asked for it and here it is. I will be glad to post and answer any questions I can about Downs.  I am a retired RN with a second degree in Developmental disorders.  I spent 20 years working with this population and enjoyed every minute of it.

by nan1202, Oct 11, 2007 09:24AM
To: simplystar
i have a boy with downs he is a twin but he dose not want to listen to me how was your son grown up

by dad777, Oct 11, 2007 10:00AM
To: simplystar
Thank you for those comments.  At 7 months, he is not crawling yet but looks ready to anytime.  Additionally, he has been able to sit up by himself with no support since 5 months.  He is able to stand holding onto a chair by himself as well.  You mentioned you could tell at birth, what signs did you notice?  Were they mainly physical characteristics?  Were there medical conditions?  Thank you and god bless you and your family.

by dad777, Oct 11, 2007 11:29AM
To: nan1202
To answer your question, my son is 7 months so at this time he does not have the listening skills required to understand anything.

Sorry!

by SimplyStar, Oct 11, 2007 11:57AM
To: nan and dad
nan   you don't say how old your son with Downs is, but if he is showing independence, don't hamper that.  My son started school when he was 2, was not even walking then, he went till he graduated from high school at age 21.  Getting your son to listen to you might be a good thing to work on, by making him have eye contact with you. don't try to give him too much information at a time, keep your instructions to 1 at first and then add  others as he grows and can comprehend what you are asking him to do. He should be able to be around his twin, watching another child progress helps a Downs to learn.

dad   A Downs baby will have certain distinguishing signs, the simian lines across the palms, eyes have the slanted look, flabby muscles,  usually a low birth weight.  Chris had a heart murmer, which was heard at birth, I was able to exercize his arms and legs and pump the blood better, within several months the murmer had all but disappeared. There is also sometimes a bowel ring called Hirshpurns  {sp?} that will cause large stools and constipation .  Development is slow, but with time most Downs people will function quite well. Your son sounds like he is very normal to me.  Good Luck to both of you.  

by JoeSixPack, Oct 16, 2007 08:07PM
To: Dad
dad...  I have a 3 year old son with Downs who is progressing nicely.  If your pediatrician was not worried at the birth examination, I don't know why you are.  If you just want to be for sure, get a kerotype done on your son.  This will look at the actual chromosome pairs and will tell without a doubt his genetic condition.  With that being said, if you are at all worried about his development, do not hesitate to contact your local Health and Human resources department to get an evaluation completed to determine his developmental status.  These services are free and are great programs.  Good luck!  

PSB

by debby123, Oct 23, 2007 04:01AM
To: all
I have a Sister that turned 50 this year . She is the best thing that ever happened to our family. the thing i cant stress enough is have plenty of Patience be strong and don't cave in because of there handicap. I started all over with my sister 3 yrs ago due to a stroke . she is back to 95 percent of her normal now. I would not let her get away with quiting . she tried to use her left side when she is right handed. anyway the point is to raise your child like you would with there brother or sister. And if you need help there are lots of programs to help you. just ask. thanks for hearing my view. debby123

by SimplyStar, Oct 23, 2007 02:57PM
God Bless you Debbie  A loving family is the best thing that can happen to a person with Downs .  My son has made my other four children much better people. Patience is indeed the key word.  I hated to retire from my position as supervisor/job coach in our 450 capacity facility. We placed so many out in the community to work alongside  others,  the acceptance of my son has been fantastic, he is a member of the community now, not hiden away as it was just a short time ago.  I am very proud to be from Iowa where Senator Tom Harkin got the ADA passed and it has opened the doors to all. I worked with returning stroke people and by returning your sister to 95% you did a very remarkable thing.

by clasc, Oct 31, 2007 06:02AM

by clasc, Oct 31, 2007 06:03AM
To: DADD777
DOWNS SYNDROME HAPPENS AT THE MOMENT OF CONCEPTION.  IT IS A GENETIC DISORDER AND DOES HAPPEN AT A "LATER" STAGE.  IF YOUR CHILD HAS DS IT WOULD HAVE BEEN NOTICED UPON BIRTH.

by clasc, Oct 31, 2007 06:04AM
To: DADD777
CORRECTION...............DOES NOT HAPPEN AT A LATER "STAGE"

by she1162, Nov 20, 2007 02:42PM
To: dad777
I can't tell by reading all of these if your original question was answered or not. When my 16 year old was born, they ( the doctor's) came to us within hours to let us know of their suspision of him having D.S. Their eyes are almond shaped, they have a flat neck, their ears are small and lower on the face, there's a line in the palm of their hand that is normally straight instead of curved. There are a lot of other traits the doctors look for before anouncing to the parents that a child could be different than what they had expected. Perhaps you could contact your local school district and tell them of your suspicions, if he doesn't have d.s. there are a lot of other things they test. I pray your child is "normal" for you. We consider our son normal for who God intended him to be.

by cartkai, Mar 10, 2008 05:09AM
i am studying child development from the age of 4 years and comparing a 4 year old without down syndrome to a 4 year old with down syndrome do you have any information. many thanks. cartkai

by SimplyStar, Mar 10, 2008 03:52PM
there is a sliding scale for development , I would say that with my son he was usually about 2 to 3 years behind,

by cheesebabe, Mar 19, 2008 06:10PM
To: dad777