Article

The aim of the study was to determine the effect of exercise training
on strength and balance in children with Down's syndrome. DESIGN: Randomized
controlled trial. SETTING: Rehabilitation school for special children. INTERVENTION : Twenty-three children were randomized to intervention and
control group. The intervention group (n = 12) underwent progressive resistive
exercises for lower limbs and balance training for six weeks. The control group
continued their regular activities followed at school. OUTCOME MEASURE: A
handheld dynamometer was used to measure the lower limb muscle strength. Balance
was assessed by the balance subscale of Bruininks Oseretsky Test of Motor
Proficiency (BOTMP). RESULTS: Following the training, the children in the
intervention group showed a statistically significant improvement (P < 0.05) in
the lower limb strength of all the muscle groups assessed. The strength of knee
extensors was 12.12 lbs in the control group versus 18.4 lbs in the experimental
group; in hip flexors it was 12.34 lbs in the control group versus 16.66 lbs in
the experimental group post-intervention. The balance of the children also
improved significantly with an improvement in scores of the balance subscale of
BOTMP (19.50 in the experimental group versus 9.00 in the control group, P =
0.001). CONCLUSION: This study suggests that a specific exercise training
programme may improve the strength and balance in children with Down's syndrome.

Langue : ANGLAIS