-Get a checklist for all screening for Down Syndrome kids with age.
All infants with Down syndrome need to be screened for heart, feeding, vision, hearing, thyroid, and hematologic abnormalities.
- All newborn Down Syndrome babies need an echocardiogram and a cardiology consult. Up to 50% of them have congenital cardiac defects!
- Hypotonia may cause feeding difficulties. Assess for that.
- Check for red r/o congenital cataracts which are common.
- All children with Down syndrome need to have a polysomnography between the ages of 1 and 4 years.
- Atlantoaxial instability – counsel parents to monitor for signs of spinal cord compromise.
- Screen for subclinical thyroid disease.
- Get CBC to evaluate for transient myeloproliferative disorders, leukemoid reaction, and polycythemia, which are more common in DS children.
Reference/ Further Reading
Pediatrics. 2011 Aug;128(2):393-406. Health Supervision for Children With Down Syndrome. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21788214
http://www.aafp.org/afp/2001/0915/p1031.html
Am Fam Physician 2014;90(12):851-858. Role of the family physician in the care of children with Down syndrome.