Special Populations: Intellectual Disabilities/Down Syndrome

• There are two categories of intellectual disabilities. There are those with and those without Down syndrome.
• Those with Down syndrome are more likely to have health problems including heart disease, hearing loss, thyroid disease, and atlantoaxial instability.
• Those without Down syndrome likely have similiar CRF, but diminished muscular strength.

Categories of Intellectual Disabilities

A chromosomal disability that causes intellectual disabilities, distinctive physical features, and various health problems. Down syndrome is caused by each cell in the body having extra copies of chromosome 21 and is the most common birth defect.

• Frequency
• 1 in 700 infants born with Down Syndrome
• ~5,300 infants born in the U.S. each year with the disorder
• Affects 2.3% of the U.S. population

What is Down syndrome?

Who is at risk for developing Down syndrome?

• Any woman can have a child with down syndrome → increases as women age
• 2002→ 1 out of every 1,000 children, about 83,000 children and teenagers
• 2008→ 1 out of every 1,200 people, about 250,700 children, teens, and adults
• 1960→ life expectancy around 10 years old
• 2007→ life expectancy 47 years old
• About half the population has a heart defect
• Often have decline in thinking → increased risk of alzheimer's

Diagnosing Down syndrome

Screening tests

• do not provide absolute diagnosis
• blood test and ultrasound

Diagnostic tests

• can predict down syndrome but is more risky
• Chorionic villus sampling (CVS)
• Amniocentesis
• Percutaneous umbilical blood sampling (PUBS)

Benefits of Exercise

Improves:

• cardiovascular & neuromuscular responses
• independence
• confidence

Megan is a 22-year-old college student born with down syndrome. She is 4 feet 10 inches tall and weighs 142 pounds. She has a resting heart rate of 90 bpm. Her resting blood pressure was 130/88. Her body fat percentage was 35%. Her blood work-up showed Total Cholesterol 204, LDL 160, HDL 44, and Fasting Blood Glucose of 115. Megan was diagnosed with atrioventricular septal defect as an infant but went through open heart surgery at 6 months old to correct it and recovered extremely well. She does not currently take any medications. Megan is not currently active, other than walking to classes. She enjoys spending time with her friends. When she was young, she participated in camps and Special Olympics, but has not been active since. She loves eating but knows very little about nutrition. She wishes to become more active so she can do more activities with her friends and be able to not worry about her health and prevent any issues. Her friends have offered to work out with her and help her out.

nds.

Her physician has cleared her exercise. She has access to her college’s wellness center/gym, special workout classes, and all amenities.

RISK FACTORS: Total Cholesterol, Sedentary,

Borderline Obese (BMI 29.8)