Motor and Cognitive Developmental Profiles in Children With Down Syndrome

OBJECTIVE: To investigate motor and cognitive developmental profiles and to evaluate the correlation between two developmental areas and assess the influencing factors of the developmental process in children with Down syndrome (DS). METHODS: Seventy-eight children with DS participated in this study. The medical history was taken and motoric milestone achievements recorded. The Korean Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence (K-WPPSI) and Bayley Scales of Infant Development-II (BSID-II) were administered. Subjects were divided into severe motor delay group (severe group) and typical motor delay group (typical group). RESULTS: Children with DS follow the same sequence of motor development and generally displayed double times of acquisition of developmental milestones compared with healthy children. Furthermore, having surgery for associated complications showed negative influence to the motor development. Almost of all children with DS showed moderate degree of intellectual disability and motor and cognitive development do not seem to correlate one another. CONCLUSION: Surgery of associated complications can be negatively related to motor development. However, early motor development did not have any significant effects on the achievement of later cognitive functioning.