Abstract

DYCE GORDON, Elisa; BETHARTE SOTOMAYOR, Yanmara  and  DYCE GORDON, Beatríz. Respiratory infections in children with Down syndrome. AMC [online]. 1997, vol.1, n.1. ISSN 1025-0255.

With the aim of showing the association among respiratory infections and Down syndrome, as well as its significance, medical records of 109 patients diagnosed in the Pediatric Speciality Polyclinic of Camaguey were reviewed from January 1984 to December 1992, describing this phenomenum. These infections frequently occurred in 61 patients(55.96%), upper respiratory processes were significant in children younger than 1 year and associated with congenital cardiac malformations in 31.42% of cases. 83,36% of cytogenetically studied children presented no disjunction of chromosome 21. There were 16 deaths, most of them due to respiratory infections and congenital cardiopathies during the first year of life with more frequency of occurrence . Female sex was more affected. Concluding, respiratory infections were frequent and responsible for the losing of lives, mainly when they were associated with congenital cardiopathies, thus surveillance of these infections and of the cardiovascular system of these children is recommended specially during the newborn and infant stages.

Keywords : RESPIRATORY TRACT INFECTIONS; DOWN SYNDROME; CHILD.

        · abstract in Spanish     · text in Spanish     · Spanish ( pdf )