To devise a safe exercise program for a symptom-free child with atlantoaxial dislocation, consult your doctor. If symptoms are present, the atlantoaxial joint can be surgically fused. In the young child with Down syndrome, seizures are no more common than in the general population. Beginning at age 20-30, the incidence of seizure disorder rises substantially in the Down syndrome population. Research is ongoing as to whether the frequencies of seizures in individuals with Down syndrome is related to the aging of the brain.
Seizures can also take a mixed form, with staring spells and momentary lapses of attention.
Seizures can be controlled with standard anti-convulsant medication. The most common involvements of the nervous system in Down syndrome are hypotonia, atlantoaxial dislocation and seizures. The reduced muscle tone of hypotonia affects most infants with Down syndrome and ranges from mild to severe. Atlantoaxial dislocation refers to a weakness of neck muscles that affects approximately 10 to 20 percent of children with Down syndrome. Most cases are asymptomatic.