Vestibular Characteristics of the Down's Population

The inner ear contains the auditory and vestibular systems, which serve two important functions for man: hearing and equilibrium. Many people erroneously identify hearing as the sole function of the ear, disregarding its vestibular function. Despite the fact that the vestibular system is phylogenetically the older of the two sensory systems of the inner ear, it has attracted considerably less attention. Our knowledge of the auditory system far exceeds that of the ancient vestibular apparatus. A review of the literature reveals an enormous amount of information regarding the importance of early identification, treatment, remediation, and habilitation of hearing loss in children. There is no similar wealth of information related to vestibular disorders in children. And, in the case of Down's syndrome, the importance of both auditory and vestibular function has been greatly underestimated. We know that some children may have vestibular disturbances, yet we do not have an adequate test to determine vestibular function in infants and young children. Even if such a test existed, how would children with vestibular abnormalities be managed? Before we can begin to discuss management of vestibular disorders in VESTIBULAR CHARACTERISTICS OF THE DOWN'S POPULATION