Physical Activity Patterns in Infants With and Without Down Syndrome.

PURPOSE: Individuals with Down syndrome (DS) are at greater risk for obesity than their peers who are developing typically. One factor contributing to an early onset of obesity is low levels of physical activity (PA). However, there is little known regarding PA patterns during infancy.

METHODS: The purpose of this study was to examine the daily PA patterns in 22 infants developing typically and 11 infants with Down syndrome (aged 1-12 months) using Actigraph GT3X+ (wrist and ankle).

RESULTS: No significant differences between groups were identified in PA counts at the ankle. Both groups produced significantly more PA at the wrist than at the ankle and PA counts increased across months in age.

CONCLUSION: This study represents an important first step in establishing baseline PA patterns during infancy.