Hard palate description in Down’s Syndrome children

Abstract

The aim of this study was to characterize the anthropometric facial and palate’s measures of children with Down syndrome (DS) and compare them with breastfeeding, breathing, oral habits and feeding. It was used an anthropometric measurements protocol, caliper rule of steel, an interview script and protocol analysis of medical records. The participants were six dyads mother and DS children with up to six years old, of both genders. The information sources were the records of children in speech therapy. The place selected was the Clinical School of Speech Therapy in a Higher Education Institution. It was observed that children with DS were not exclusively breastfed, most used artificial teats and was submitted to feed transition considered inappropriate, with delayed introduction of solid foods and stay in pasty consistency. One may wonder whether the narrow and high arched palate is unique to the syndrome, since the proper development of orofacial structures suffer the interference from external factors..