Risk Factors for Development of Children with Down Syndrome in Brazil

Wesley Correa^*, Maria de Fatima Minetto, Rafaeli Cappellaro-Kobren, Josafá Moreira Cunha

School of Education, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Curitiba, Brazil.

DOI: 10.4236/ce.2015.612128                

Abstract

The study of risk factors that affect the development of children with Down syndrome (DS) has been the main subject of several studies. In the Brazilian context, the development of instruments to identify such risks is still a challenge. The current study had the objective of examining the characteristics of a diagnostic organizer instrument which detects risk factors for development. The study was conducted in a clinic that offers services to children with DS in a Public Hospital in Curitiba, Brazil—and 15 parents of children from 0 - 8 years with DS that use the ambulatory service were interviewed, while the children’s medical records were also consulted. With the use of the Organization Diagnostic for Early Intervention (ODAP (GAT, 2008)), current and past conditions of child development as well as risk factors were evaluated. The research provided an organization of diagnostic, identifying cumulative risks factors for child development with emphasis on biological and environmental factors, and revealed vulnerabilities. The study provided a comprehensive understanding about the influence of the risk factors to development, as well as informing the development of strategies for intervention to enhance protective factors and promote positive child development and higher quality in family and social relationships.

Keywords

Risk Factors, Child Development, Down Syndrome

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

References

[1]	Andrade, L. M. M., Vasconcelos, L. C., & Branco, F. M. F. C. (2012). Experience of Mothers with Children with Down Syndrome. Interdisciplinary Journal Novafapi, 5, 21-25.
[2]	Brand?o, I. M. (2012). Down Syndrome in Aracaju. Thesis, Aracaju: University Tiradentes.
[3]	Bolsanello, M. A. (2012). Presentation Dossier: Baby Education and Child Development: Intervention and Early Warning. Educating in Review (Printed), 1, 13-16.
[4]	Brazil Ministry of Health (2012). The Person Care Guidelines with Down Syndrome. Brasília: Ministry of Health.
[5]	Brazil Ministry of Health (2012). Child Health: Growth and Development. Brasília: Ministry of Health.
[6]	Bronfenbrenner, U. (M.A.V. Veronese, Trad.) (1996). Ecology of Human Development: Natural and Planned Experiments. Porto Alegre: Medical Arts. (Original Work Published in 1979)
[7]	Bronfenbrenner, U., & Morris, P. A. (1998). The Ecology of Developmental Processes. In W. Damon, & R. M. Lerner (Orgs.), Handbook of Child Psychology, Vol. 1: Theoretical Models of Human Development (pp. 993-1028). New York: John Wiley.
[8]	Bronfenbrenner, U. (A. Carvalho-Barreto, Trad.) (2011). Bioecology Human Development: Making the Most Humane Human Beings. Porto Alegre: Artmed. (Original Work Published in 2005)
[9]	Carvalho, E. C. (2008). Children at Risk. Porto: University Portucalense.
[10]	Cherubini, Z. A., Bosa, C. A.; Bandeira, D. (2008). Stress and Self-Concept in Parents of Children with Fragile X Syndrome. Psychology and Critical Reflection, 21, 409-417.
[11]	Costa, V. L. S. (2012). Early Intervention: An Exploratory Study on the Practice of a Disciplinary Team. Thesis, Lisbon: School of Education John of God.
[12]	Frankenburg, W. K., Dodds, J., Archer, P., Bresnick, B., Maschka, P., Edelman, N. et al. (1990) Denver II: Technical Manual and Training Manual. Denver, CO: Denver Developmental Materials.
[13]	GAT (2008). ODAT Descritivo Manual—Update 2008. Madrid: Royal Board on Disability.
[14]	Hanson, M. J., & Lynch, E. W. (1989). Early Intervention: Implementing Child and Family Services for Infants and Toddlers Who Are At-Risk or Disabled. Austin, TX: PRO-ED.
[15]	Henn, C. G., Piccinini, C. A., & Garcias, G. L. (2008). The Family in the Context of Down Syndrome: Reviewing the Literature. Study in Psychology, 13, 485-493.
[16]	Krebs, R. J. (2006). The Bioecological Theory of Human Development and the Context of Inclusive Education. Journal of Special Education, 1, 40-45.
[17]	Krebs, R. J. (2005). Inclusive Education and the Theory of Ecological Systems. In D. Rodrigues, R. Krebs, & S. N. Freitas (Orgs.), Inclusive Education and Special Educational Needs (pp. 65-81). Santa Maria: UFSM.
[18]	Lamb, M. E., & Billings, L. A. L. (1997). Fathers of Children with Special Needs. In M. E. Lamb (Org.), The Role of the Father in Child Development (pp. 179-190). New York: Wiley.
[19]	Minetto, M. F., & Crepaldi, M. A. (2010). Educational Practices Parenting, Parental Beliefs, Parental Stress and Family Functioning of Parents of Children with Typical and Atypical Development. Ph.D. Thesis, Florianópolis: Federal University of Santa Catarina.
[20]	Minetto, M. F. (2008). The Curriculum in Inclusive Education: Understand the Challenge. Curitiba: IBPEX.
[21]	Minetto, M. F., & Bolsanello, M. A. (2012). Sensorimotor Intelligence in Children with Down Syndrome. INFAD, 3, 129-136.
[22]	Miranda, A., Grau, D., Rose, J., & Meliá, A. (2009). Understanding Discipline in Families of Children with Attention-Deficit/ Hyperactivity Disorder: A Structural Equation Model. The Spanish Journal of Psychology, 12, 496-505. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S1138741600001876
[23]	Mantoan, M. T. E. (2012). The Challenge of Differences in Schools. Petrópolis: Publisher Voices.
[24]	Müller, D. C., & Jung, S. I. (2010). The Impact on Maternal Psyche by the Birth of a Baby with Down Syndrome. Work Degree Completion, FACCAT.
[25]	Oliveira, J. B. G. (2011). The Perspective of People with Disabilities School Inclusion in Brazil: A Study of the Public Policy. Magazine Times and Spaces in Education, 6, 147-159.
[26]	Person, A. P., Partyka, G., Jensen, M. K., Devine, O. J., Ramussem, S. A., & McCabe, R. E. B. (2013). Current Estimate of Down Syndrome Population Prevalence in the USA. Journal of Pediatrics, 163, 1163-1168.
[27]	Pereira-Silva, N. L., & Dessen, M. A. (2006). Families of Children with Down Syndrome: Feelings, Ways of Life and Parental Stress. Psychology Interaction, 10, 183-194.
[28]	Pereira-Silva, N. L., & Dessen, M. A. (2004). What Does Having a Mental Disabled Child in the Family? Educating in Review, 23, 161-183.
[29]	Poletto, M., & Koller, S. H. (2008). Ecological Contexts: Promoters Resilience, Risk and Protective Factors. Psychology Studies, 25, 405-416.
[30]	Portes, J. R. M., Vieira, M. L., Crepaldi, M. A., & Motta, C. C. L. (2013). A Child with Down Syndrome: From the Perspective of Bio-Ecological Theory of Human Development, with Emphasis on Risk and Protective Factors. Boletim da Academia Paulista de Psicologia, 33, 446-464.
[31]	Santa Maria-Mengel, M. R. (2007). “Development Surveillance” Health Family Program: Screening to Identify Risks for Developmental Problems in Children. Doctorate Thesis, Ribeir?o Preto: University of Sao Paulo.
[32]	Sobrinho, L. A. (2010). The Parental Care for Children with Down Syndrome under the Evolutionary Perspective. Thesis, Salvador: Federal University of Bahia.
[33]	Soejima, C. S., & Bolsanello, M. A. (2012). Intervention Program and Early Intervention with Infants in Early Childhood Education. Educating in Review, 43, 65-79.
[34]	Sousa, J. I. G. S., Ribeiro, G. T. F., & Melo, A. P. C. (2009). Down Syndrome: Feelings Experienced by Parents When Diagnosis. Pediatrics, 2, 100-108.
[35]	Souza, A. B., & Fiamenghi Jr., G. A. J. (2011). The Relationship between Father and Son with Down Syndrome: A Literature Review. Graduate Notebooks in Developmental Disorders, 11, 23-27.
[36]	Trentin, F. E., & Santos, V. L. P. (2013). General Aspects of Down Syndrome: A Biological Vision. Health School Notebooks, 1, 15-31.
[37]	Velasco, L. P. P., Martínez-Fuentes, M. T., Pérez-López, J., & Díaz-Herrero, A. (2011). Mother-Infant Interaction and Infant Mental Development: Implications for Early Intervention. INFAD—Psychology Magazine, 1, 521-530.
[38]	World Health Organization; The World Bank (2011). World Report on Disability. Geneva: World Health Organization. www.who.int