Health matters

Trampolines
Adult Down Syndrome Center, 21 August 2016 (on Facebook)

We periodically get asked about the use of trampolines by people with Down syndrome. Recreational use of trampolines is associated with significant injuries.
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends against the use of trampolines for recreational use. The policy statement on trampolines  reports that "Many reports have revealed that head and/or neck injuries accounted for 10% to 17% of all trampoline-related injuries, and 0.5% of all trampoline injuries resulted in permanent neurologic damage". 

The laxity of the joints often found in people with DS could put them at even higher risk. Of particular concern is the possibility of neck injury. Atlanto-axial instability (the slippage of the first vertebrae in the neck on the second) is more common in people with DS. A blow to the head or a sudden jarring movement of the head that might occur on a trampoline could cause spinal trauma. 

Would a normal lateral cervical spine (neck) x-ray guarantee that a neck injury would be avoided with participation on a trampoline by a person with DS? People without DS who have normal cervical spines can have significant spinal cord injuries on a trampoline. Furthermore, we know that normal x-rays don't predict lack of vulnerability to cervical spine injury for people with DS in some other situations such as when under anesthesia. Caution is recommended for all people with DS when under anesthesia because movement of the head/neck under anesthesia has been associated with significant injury to the spine even with a normal neck x-ray. As in people without DS, even with a normal lateral neck x-ray, spine injury is still a potential concern for people with DS who participate in recreational use of a trampoline.

Challenges faced in managing dementia in Alzheimer’s disease in patients with Down syndrome
Vee P Prasher, Hassan Mahmood, Madhumanti Mitra, Dove Press, 20 September 2016
... This literature review aimed to look at the management of DAD (dementia in Alzheimer's disease) in people with DS. The management of dementia is holistic ... The management of DAD in people with DS does present with a number of challenges. However, if clinicians follow good clinical practice guidelines, optimum care can be provided to these under-resourced members of the community. Future research findings from the general population should be applicable to the DS population and will hopefully improve future management and diminish any challenges.

• Dove Medical Press, based in the UK, publishes scientific and medical research with open access. A copy of the full text of this article, published in the journal Degenerative Neurological and Neuromuscular Disease, Volume 6, 2016, can be downloaded for personal use - the link is located below the abstract.

Do you know someone who has a disability and has been affected by breast cancer?
Breast Cancer Network Australia (BCNA) wants to provide better information and support to people with a disability affected by breast cancer, their families and supporters.

To help us understand people’s experiences, we would like to talk to:

• people with a disability who have had breast cancer

• family members, carers or support workers of a person with a disability who has had breast cancer

• people who have had breast cancer and are family members or carers of a person with a disability

• More information here, from BCNA