What are the symptoms of Down syndrome babies?

When it comes to babies with Down syndrome, many expectant parents will be worried, because we all know that this type of Down syndrome baby actually has a disease that will have a great impact on his life and will also bring great pain to a family. Therefore, women of childbearing age must pay attention to understanding relevant knowledge. After pregnancy, they must pay attention to regular check-ups and do some Down syndrome screening to reduce the birth rate of babies with Down syndrome. Common symptoms of babies with Down syndrome include language development disorders, movement disorders, or motor development delays, etc. After birth, parents should also observe whether the baby's daily behavior has similar symptoms.

1. Language development disorder

The average age when children start learning to speak is 4-6 years old, and 95% have pronunciation defects, slurred articulation, stuttering, and hoarse voices; more than 1/3 have abnormal speech rhythm and even explosive sounds.

2. Behavioral disorders

Most of them are mild-tempered, often giggle, like to imitate and repeat simple movements, and can perform simple labor. A few patients are irritable, willful, hyperactive, and even have destructive and aggressive behaviors. Some show a tendency to shrink, accompanied by a catatonic posture.

3. Motor development retardation

The motor function of children with this disorder may not be much different from that of normal children of the same age for a period of time after birth, but the difference increases with age. Motor development also varies greatly among different patients. Patients with congenital idiocy can perform simple movements, such as dressing and eating, but their movements are clumsy, uncoordinated, and their gait is unstable.

4. Growth and development disorders

The maternal gestation period of patients with congenital idiocy is shorter, averaging 262 to 272 days. The height at birth is 1~3cm shorter than that of a normal newborn. The head circumference is basically normal, the biparietal diameter is within the normal range, the anterior-posterior diameter is relatively short, and the occipital part is flat. Most of them are brachycephalic. The anterior and posterior fontanelles and the frontal suture are wide and close slowly, and a third fontanelle (widening of the sagittal suture above the posterior fontanelle) often appears. Children with this disease sleep deeply for a few days after birth, and their sucking and swallowing are very slow, or even completely unable, so it is very difficult to wake them up and feed them. 80% of the children had general low muscle tone.

5. Special appearance

The eyes are widely spaced, with the outer corners of the eyes slanting upwards, epicanthus, low-set ears, low nose bridge, broad and thick tongue, mouth often half open or with tongue sticking out of the mouth, deep and numerous tongue grooves, thick palms and short and thick fingers, short last finger often bent inwards or with two joints, and 40% of children have palmar dysplasia. Among the plantar creases, there is an arch-shaped crease on the tibial side of the ball of the big toe, the distance between the big toe and the second toe is large, and the joint ligaments are loose or the muscle tone is low.