Last Updated (Monday, 20 July 2009 12:44)

What are the physical features of a child with Down syndrome?

Although individuals with Down syndrome have distinct physical characteristics, generally they are more similar to the average person in the community than they are different.

The physical features are important to the physician in making the clinical diagnosis, but no emphasis should be put on those characteristics otherwise.

Not every child with Down syndrome has all the characteristics; some may only have a few, and others may show most of the signs of Down syndrome. Some of the physical features in children with Down syndrome include flattening of the back of the head, slanting of the eyelids, small skin folds at the inner corner of the eyes, depressed nasal bridge, slightly smaller ears, small mouth, decreased muscle tone, loose ligaments, and small hands and feet.

About fifty percent of all children have one line across the palm, and there is often a gap between the first and second toes.

The physical features observed in children with Down syndrome (and there are many more than described above) usually do not cause any disability in the child.