Son with down Syndrome

Hello A.. I have a daughter with Down Syndrome and each child will develop differently. Olivia walked at 15 months but we worked very hard with a therapist to get her to that point. She is not as strong as other children her age and does not 'catch' herself well when she does fall but is nowing attempting to 'run' at 26 months. My best recommendation is to get in physical and OT therapy, your child will develop but it takes time, patience and work. If you do not insurance to help with that, check out ECI as that is a free service once you qualify.

I have not had the hair loss situation and that is the first I have heard of loss -- thinner hair is common.

Please email me if you want to discuss anything else related to Down Syndrome. I am not an expert but am a mom. Good luck and I agree with you, Olivia is the joy of my life. I would obviously rather that she did not have Down Syndrome but to not have her in my life is unthinkable.

A.,

My daughter had mild Alopecia and our pediatric dermatoligist told us to hold off on the Rogaine. She said it would grow back but that it can take up to six months. She also precribed us a mild steroid cream to rub on the bald spot that loosens the hair follicle to help the hair come up easier. It's called Elidel and is sometimes used to treat eczema.
She told us that if her hair didn't start to grow to use womans rogaine and to dilute with water so it's only 2%.
My daughters hair is growing back with just the Elidel and time. It's been about 3 months.

Good luck!

I have a son who is 18 months old and just started crawling and barely holds himself up. I never experience the hair thing though. The PT recommended inserts for his ankles, a doctor has to write the prescription for it. I hope this helps, please email me privately if you like to talk some more.

Astor, my daughter is 15 months old with DS (she's cruising around furniture at this point). Unfortunately, I don't have any advice for you on the hair loss because she hasn't had that problem, but please update us on what ends up working in case we face that situation down the road. Congratulations on your little boy!!!

Hi, My son does not have down syndrome but does have special needs and with all of his seizures, medications, and other issues he was not getting the nutrients he needed. He started losing some of his hair. Someone had suggested I try giving him zinc supplements and it worked. Zinc has a very strong taste though so maybe try the flavored chewable. Also, if he isn't already taking vitamins, maybe try those instead since they already include zinc. You may want to check with your doctor first though, just to be safe...

I hope this helps... :o)

Hi A.,

What a lucky mom you are! I wanted to let you know that I found a shampoo, that is made with natural alternatives, so no worries with the Rogaine, and is proving to help with hair regrowth. I will say that my husband discovered this due to his untimely receding hair line. He loves it. Let me know if you want more info.

Have a great one!
A.
www.free2Bmom.com

Hi A.,

I am a speech-language pathologist, and have a free social group for young children (16 months-6 years) with special needs. We get together about every other month. There are several families with children who have Down's Syndrome. Those moms are very friendly, with children a year or two older than your child - so they might be able to offer you some helpful information.

If you are interested, visit www.startherapyprograms.com, and click on the Play Pals icon.

Your son is very fortunate to have a mother who is so concerned.

Best Regards,
S.