68%), gap between first and second toes (68%), short, broad hands (64%), short neck (61%), abnormal teeth (61%), epicanthic folds (59%), short fifth finger (58%), open mouth (57%), Incurved fifth finger (57%), Brushfield spots (56%), Furrowed tongue (55%), transverse palmer crease (53%), folded or displastic ear (50%), protruding tongue (47%). (Berg, 614)Along with the dysmorphic features, Down syndrome also has many more serious associated conditions. Again not all conditions appear in all patients with DS, but the risk is generally much higher than those without Down syndrome. The most characteristic feature of DS in newborns and infants is hypotonia, which is weak or absent muscle tone. In a longitudinal study, the muscle tone of Down syndrome newborns was rated as 1.6 plus or minus .84 for males and 1.5 plus or minus .70 for females at two years of age (with 0=extremely hypotonic, 1= moderate, 2= mild, 3= normal).(Epstein 50)Mental retardation occurs to some degree in all individuals with DS. The degree of mental retardation varies from mild (IQ: 50 - 70) to moderate (IQ: 35 - 50), and only occasionally to severe (IQ: 20 - 35). The greatest problem being language development, and the ability to handle more advance cognitive strategies and processes. Such as the inability to comprehend instructions, to plan alternative approaches to the problem, to attend to several variable at one time, or to express oneself clearly to another to receive help. Patients with Down syndrome are highly receptive of their environment and respond well to early intervention with an average of 10 points higher IQ (intelligence quotient) and 15 points higher DQ (developmental quotient). (Berg, 615) With the exception of the profound hypotonia, the behavior of infants with DS is generally normal at birth. Developmental retardation usually becomes obvious during the first few months of life, and the mean age at which developmental landmarks are a...
