Abstract / Summary
Purpose: Children with Down syndrome (DS), a genetic condition associated with neuromotor impairments, walk ~1 year later than typically developing peers. To inform future interventions, we measured infants' stepping behaviors in a novel task--overground stepping in a suspension walker--compared to supported treadmill stepping. Materials and Methods: We tested 31 pre-walking infants with Down syndrome across 71 sessions at 10, 13, 16, and/or 19 months of age. At each session, infants completed four trials per task (treadmill and walker). We measured step quantity (overall step rate and alternating step rate), step quality (percentage of steps that were alternating, forward, and flat-landing), the ability to self-propel the walker, and caregiver perspectives on both devices. Results: Step quantity increased with age, but infants took more steps in the walker than on the treadmill at all ages. Steps were of equal or higher quality in the walker. By 16 months, half of infants could self-propel. Caregivers viewed both devices favorably, though the majority preferred the walker for home and/or community use. Conclusion: Observational data of overground stepping using a suspension walker suggests overground walkers may be a useful intervention tool for pre-walking infants with Down syndrome.