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Medical conditions and medication use in adults with Down syndrome

This report describes the findings of a review of the medical records held by a US teaching hospital for 141 adults with Down syndrome aged between 30 to 65 years. Approximately 75 of older adults with Down syndrome in the sample experienced memory loss and dementia. Hypothyroidism, seizures, and skin problems also occurred commonly. The prevalence of solid tumour cancers and hypertension was extremely low. The older adults with Down syndrome used anticonvulsant more often than the younger adults in the sample. The use of multivitamins and medications such as pain relievers, prophylactic antibiotics, and topical ointments was common.

Medical issues among children and teenagers with Down syndrome in Hong Kong

This report examines the prevalence of medical problems in children and teenagers with Down syndrome in Hong Kong, based on a review of the hospital medical records for 407 children under 18 years old. The prevalence of medical problems was found to be high amongst these children and teenagers, similar to reported prevalence for children with Down syndrome in other countries. Cardiovascular problems were observed in 216 (53%), endocrine problems in 111 (27%), gastrointestinal problems in 46 (11%), haematological problems in 18 (4%), neurological problems in 27 (7%), sleep problems in 36 (9%), skeletal problems in 56 (14%), visual problems in 195 (48%) and auditory problems in 137 (34%).

Parents’ perceptions of health and physical activity needs of children with Down syndrome

This paper reports a study of parents’ perceptions of the health and physical activity needs of their children with Down syndrome. Through focus groups, the study identified the following most salient themes: (1) all parents believed participation in physical activity has immediate and long-term positive health impacts on their child with Down syndrome, and most of the parents thought their child would benefit from being more physically active, (2) most parents observed that their child participated in physical activities primarily for social reasons, most notably to be with their peers with or without Down syndrome or to be with their sibling(s), and that without such motivation their child would choose sedentary activities, (3) parents of teenagers identified a need for their child to learn an individual sport to have sporting opportunities that do not require ability-matched teammates and opponents, and (4) parents recognised their need for help from physical activity specialists.

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