Adherence to the American Academy of Pediatrics Health Supervision Guidelines for Children With Down Syndrome in a Tertiary Care Institution in Northeastern Colombia

Health surveillance of children with Down syndrome is often insufficient. We assessed adherence to the 2011 American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) health supervision guidelines at a tertiary pediatric care institution in northeastern Colombia. This descriptive, cross-sectional study analyzed electronic medical records of 124 children under 13 years (59.7% were males, and 66% resided in a metropolitan area) seen between 2012 and 2023. Overall adherence was 57%. Adherence rates varied by age: high in neonates and school-aged children (>80%), moderate in infants and preschoolers (68%), and low in toddlers (39%). While most children underwent echocardiogram (99%), complete blood count (90%) and karyotype testing (78%) within the first month, fewer received timely hearing evaluations by six months (60%) or ophthalmologic evaluation by six months (34%). Significant non-adherence occurred during the first year and persisted through early childhood, highlighting the need to identify barriers and improve guideline compliance.