%0 Journal Article
%T Adherence to health management guidelines for children with Down's syndrome at the Bustamante Hospital for Children, Jamaica.
%A Livingstone-Sinclair K
%A Scott C
%A Trotman H
%J Trop Doct
%V 48
%N 4
%D Oct 2018
%M 30114985
%F 0.828
%R 10.1177/0049475518788468
%X Health surveillance of children with Down's syndrome may be inadequate. We aimed to assess adherence to health management guidelines at the main paediatric hospital in Jamaica. Ours was a retrospective descriptive study over a five-year period. Data on demographics, co-morbidities, investigations, referrals and interventions were recorded. Of 41 children included in the study, 85% were diagnosed in the neonatal period. Congenital heart disease in 29 (76%) and ophthalmological disorders in 13/24 (54%) were the most common co-morbidities. Evaluations in accordance with the American Academy of Pediatrics guidelines were carried out in only 46% of the children for echocardiography, 48% for ophthalmology, 30% for hearing evaluation and 10% for neonatal thyroid screening. Thus, the recommended guidelines were not carried out in a timely manner in the majority of the children. Education of healthcare providers and caregivers along with the provision of adequate resources may help to resolve this inadequacy.