There are cares and actions you should have with your baby to ensure an optimal development

Being a parent of a baby with Down syndrome can be a bit frustrating at the beginning. It is possible that you do not know what to do and you might be a little disoriented about your baby’s upbringing, which will be marked by physical and intellectual limitations of the condition.

Leer en español: ¿Cómo cuidar y estimular a tu bebé con Síndrome de Down?

However, it is important that you take this process in the healthiest way, without punishing yourself for and bearing in mind that the best way to establish a safe bond with your baby is to treat him or her as a normal member of the family.

In addition, it is important that your baby start therapy early. Although your baby will reach the same milestones as other small ones, it will probably take a little longer. That is why starting physical and occupational therapy at an early age will help them perform better in the world.

As the pediatrician José Recoba tells the newspaper La República, babies with Down are born with a low muscle tone, "that is why they should undergo physiotherapy, which will help them improve their motor skills, allowing them to sit, crawl and walk on their own means, as well as, pick up objects with their hands and play".

This type of approach will also help them develop vocabulary, feelings, and emotions, learn manners, maintain eye contact and learn some basic rules of behavior.

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Likewise, according to the newspaper Ser Padres, it is possible to perform some stimulation exercises from home:

• Face down on the crib, motivate him with his favorite toys or with objects that call his attention, to look up, down and to the sides.
• Put him on the ground and create a toy path, away from your baby, so he will have to reach them, either by crawling or leaning on something nearby objects.
• Play with the front of the mirror and show him/her, moving lips and tongue, different easy expressions that show surprise, anger, sadness, and other emotions.
• Present sounds outside his visual field for him to look them in space.
• Every time you do something right, encourage him to repeat it.

It is important that you give your baby time to feel safe and loved. Take advantage of any time of the day to do a massage, practice some stimulation exercises and communicate with him. However, do not demand more of what your baby can give to avoid episodes of stress.

Finally, keep in mind that children with Down syndrome are more prone to develop feeding problems, heart defects, vision problems, hearing problems, anemia, among others. You must constantly attend medical checks to check the health of your baby and prevent any of these abnormalities.

Latinamerican Post | Luisa Fernanda Báez Toro
Translated from “¿Cómo cuidar y estimular a tu bebé con Síndrome de Down?”

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