Helping Your Baby With Down Syndrome...

Safe Tummy Time

Tummy time tips:
• Just put him on a blanket on the floor (on his tummy of course) and place interesting objects/toys around him.
• You may want to prop a rolled up towel under his chest.
• This will encourage him to look around and eventually learn to lift his head.
• Always make sure he is supervised.
• The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends ALWAYS putting your baby to sleep on his back.

Then, learning to bring his hands together to midline (which helps tremendously in keeping baby happy) occurs. Wrist rattles and even foot rattles are extremely helpful for this. Put the baby in a side-lying position to facilitate him bringing his hands together. The baby can also sit in an infant seat possibly with a toy bar in front of him.

From there he will learn to roll over, sit up, crawl, and eventually stand and walk. Not every child will crawl before walking though. Some children skip this part. In kids with Down Syndrome it is important to help them learn to crawl (if at all possible) because it helps develop trunk stability which is essential for walking skills.

In Down Syndrome gross motor development occurs pretty much in the same order as in typical kids, it just may occur a bit later. Therefore, whatever is helpful for typical babies is usually also helpful for gross motor development in Down Syndrome.

This is only the tip of the iceberg so to speak.

Find more tips for aiding your baby's development

For more reading on gross motor development in Down Syndrome go to the Book List and Resources page.

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