ANN ARBOR—Infants and toddlers with Down syndrome can learn to walk more than three months earlier than expected after having practiced on a treadmill, according to a new University of Michigan study by two kinesiology professors.

Unlike children without Down syndrome who learn to walk at about 10-14 months of age, children with Down syndrome generally take their first steps at about age two. But this new study shows that after training on a treadmill, infants and toddlers with Down syndrome learn to walk earlier than expected.

“Walking is a critical motor milestone in the life of a child because it enhances the achievement of other skills, such as cognitive, communication and social skills. It is part of a family of many other developmental achievements,” said Dale Ulrich, associate professor of kinesiology and co-principal investigator of the study.

Ulrich will present the study’s findings at 1:30 p.m., The study involved 30 infants with Down syndrome, of whom 15 were assigned to an experimental treadmill practice group and 15 to a control group. The criteria for the infants in the study required that they be able to sit independently for 30 seconds. The children in the experimental treadmill group practiced walking on the treadmill with the aid of a parent five days a week, eight minutes a day.

The researchers found the infants in the experimental group walked independently 101 days earlier than the children in the control group.

“Once a child is able to walk, parents view this as concrete evidence that the child is truly making progress,” Dale Ulrich said.

Previous studies by Dale and Beverly Ulrich have shown that infants with and without Down syndrome who kick frequently also walk earlier. The pattern of movement used in kicking is similar to that used in walking.

Their findings are significant because walking is an important milestone in the development of a child. Walking is a source of independence for a child who can explore more of his world around him on foot. It also allows a child to interact more easily with her peers, which is important because infants with Down syndrome, on average, walk a year later than nondisabled infants. Other studies have shown that the stress levels of mothers of children with Down syndrome decreases once their children show some degree of self-sufficiency.

The study was funded by the U.S. Department of Education’s National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research and the March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation.

National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research