Children with Down syndrome commonly present with impaired balance and postural control due to musculoskeletal, sensory, and neuromotor deficits, which may negatively affect functional mobility and participation in daily activities. Over the last decade, a variety of contemporary physiotherapy interventions have been investigated to improve balance in this population....
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Discussion
Signed responses from readers of the wire.
Audiologists and vestibular specialists managing children with Down syndrome should be aware that physiotherapy-based balance interventions are supported by RCT evidence, but the specific protocols and effect sizes should be reviewed before integrating referral pathways.
Children with Down syndrome frequently have vestibular and sensory processing deficits that fall within the audiology scope, and evidence-based physiotherapy protocols could strengthen multidisciplinary care recommendations.
- 01Systematic review focused exclusively on RCTs, representing the highest-quality trial evidence.
- 02Population: children with Down syndrome experiencing balance and functional mobility challenges.
- 03Interventions address both musculoskeletal deficits and sensory (including vestibular) contributions to poor balance.
- 04Findings can inform multidisciplinary referral decisions made by audiologists and vestibular specialists.
- 05Published in European Journal of Pediatrics (DOI: 10.1007/s00431-026-07255-0).
Contemporary physiotherapy interventions improve balance in children with Down syndrome.
studypartially supportedSensory deficits, including vestibular dysfunction, contribute to impaired functional mobility in children with Down syndrome.
studysupported- PMID
- 42507222
- DOI
- 10.1007/s00431-026-07255-0.
- Journal
- European Journal of Pediatrics
- Publication type
- meta_analysis
- Evidence level
- 1a
- Population
- Children with Down syndrome with musculoskeletal and sensory deficits affecting balance and functional mobility
- Intervention
- Contemporary physiotherapy interventions for balance rehabilitation
- Comparator
- Control or comparison physiotherapy conditions as reported within included RCTs
Primary outcomes
Balance performance in children with Down syndrome; Functional mobility outcomes