Effects of a 12-Week Group Circuit-Based Kinetotherapy Program on Muscle Strength, Segmental Trophicity, and Postural Balance in Children with Down Syndrome: An Exploratory Pre–Post Intervention Study with a Baseline Comparison Group

Background

Children with Down syndrome (DS) commonly present hypotonia, ligamentous laxity, and impaired postural control, which delay gross motor milestones and limit functional independence. Group-based, music-supported circuit kinetotherapy has been proposed as a feasible and engaging strategy to address these deficits, but comparative evidence in pediatric samples remains limited. Patients and methods: A prospective, exploratory pre–post intervention study with a non-randomized baseline control group was conducted in 20 children with trisomy 21 (aged 4–12 years), allocated by feasibility of attendance (not randomized) to an experimental group (n = 10) that completed a 12-week, once-weekly, 60-min music-assisted dynamic circuit program (seven stations targeting coordination, proprioception, postural alignment, and functional reach) and a control group (n = 10) that received no structured intervention and was assessed at baseline only (no post-intervention follow-up data were collected for this group). Outcomes included segmental limb circumferences, manual muscle testing (F1–F5) of six muscle groups, and the Berg Balance Scale (BBS), assessed at baseline (T1) in both groups and after the intervention period (T2) in the experimental group only.