Relationship between head circumference and psychomotor development in down syndrome

ABSTRACT

In the present study, the head circumference of 44 Down syndrome patients as well as 80 control subjects was measured and plotted on the Egyptian control chart. Assessment of the psychomotor skills of Down syndrome patients and the control group was performed using the Denver development screening test. The developmental quotient was calculated. The head circumference of DS patients was significantly lower than the control group. The head circumference of Down syndrome patients showed deviation from the normal population range with advancing age. The gross motor sector showed the most severe delay in all ages studied. The language sector showed a decline with age and was the most retarded domain in the older Down syndrome patients. An intermediate +ve, though insignificant correlation, was found between the head circumference and the developmental quotient in Down syndrome patients aged 6 months - 1.5 years, while a strong +ve correlation between the head circumference and the developmental quotient was found in Down syndrome patients aged 1.5 - 2.5 years, implying that the head circumference plays a role in the psychomotor retardation of Down syndrome patients