Provide speech therapy to help the child develop communications skills.
Treatment is focused on treating complications of Down syndrome such
as trauma and infection.Nursing Intervention
Explain the disorder to the family and suggest they plan activities based
on the child’s abilities rather than based on the child’s age and to involve
the child in success-oriented activities.
Maintain a routine to reduce the child’s frustration.
Arrange for a social worker to help the family deal with the challenges
that face the child and the family.(^220) Pediatric Nursing Demystified
A parent of a Down syndrome child calls saying that she has doubts about the diagnosis
because her 2-month-old seems to act like her other child when she was 2 months old.
What is the best response?
a. Call your health-care provider and ask her to retest your child.
b. You child has Down syndrome according to the child’s test results.
c. Behavioral differences are not easily noticeable until later in the infant’s development.
d. Your child has the facial characteristics of a child who has Down syndrome; there-
fore your child has the disorder.
Answer:
✔ ROUTINE CHECKUP 3
Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy
What Went Wrong?
Duchenne muscular dystrophy is a sex-linked recessive genetic degenerative
muscular disease caused by the absence of dystrophin, which is a muscle pro-
tein used in muscle fibers. Muscle fibers are replaced by connective tissue
and fat. The mother carries the gene and passes it to a son who contracts the
disease. Early signs occur between 3 and 5 years of age.Signs and Symptoms
Calves have normal appearance but are weak.
Weak pelvic muscles.
Wide stance.
Waddling gait.