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Can a simple harness help babies with down syndrome take their first steps sooner?

NCT ID NCT06219863

Knowledge-focused Sponsor: Boston University Charles River Campus Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

What the study statuses mean

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Recruitment status, easiest to join first

Recruiting now This study
This trial is taking on new participants right now.
Not yet recruiting
Registered, but not yet taking participants.
By invitation only
Not open to general applications. Only people the study team invites can take part.
Paused
Paused for now. It may or may not start again.
Ongoing
Running, but no longer taking on new participants.
Completed
The trial has finished. Results may not be published yet.
Stopped early
Stopped early, before it reached the end. That can be for many reasons, including safety.
Cancelled
Cancelled before anyone took part.

Expanded access (not trials)

Expanded access
Not a trial. This treatment can be requested outside a study, case by case, for people who qualify.
Expanded access (paused)
Not a trial. The treatment can normally be requested outside a study, but is unavailable right now.
Expanded access (ended)
Not a trial. The treatment could once be requested outside a study, but no longer can.
Approved
The treatment has been approved, so it is available normally rather than through this programme.

When the status isn't known

Details not published
The full record has not been published yet, so there is little to show here.
Status unknown
This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.

First seen Jul 24, 2026 · Last updated Jul 24, 2026

Summary

This pilot study tests whether a body-weight-supported harness used at home can help infants with Down syndrome move around earlier. Delayed crawling and walking are common in Down syndrome, and early mobility may boost learning, communication, and social interaction. Six families will use the harness for 30 minutes a day, five days a week, for one month, and researchers will measure feasibility and key developmental outcomes to prepare for a larger clinical trial.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance
body weight supported harness
What this could lead to
If the harness is feasible and acceptable, it could pave the way for a larger trial testing whether early supported mobility improves learning, communication, and development in infants with Down syndrome.
What could go wrong
This is a very small pilot study with only 6 infants, so results may not apply broadly. The harness may be difficult for families to use consistently, and the study does not yet test whether it actually improves outcomes.

This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.

Study facts

What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.

Phase

Not a phased trial

Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.

Participants

About 6 people

The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.

Started

Jul 2024

Expected to finish

Dec 2027

An estimate. End dates often move.

Lead sponsor

Other sponsor

The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.

Who can take part

This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.

Ages

Up to 2 years

Sex

Anyone

Healthy volunteers

Not accepted

This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.

Show the full entry requirements

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion Criteria: * confirmed diagnosis of Trisomy 21 * younger than 24 months * English is the primary language of the home (due to use of standardized language assessments normed on English-speaking children) * able to sit without support * not yet taking any independent steps. Exclusion Criteria: * Mosaic or Translocation Down syndrome * severe, uncontrolled medical problems (including heart disease with cardiovascular instability, uncontrolled epilepsy) * severe uncorrected hearing or vision impairments

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

Down syndrome

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

Down syndrome

How to take part

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  1. The places running it

    1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.

  2. The official record

    ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.

    Open the record ↗

  3. A doctor treating you

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Contacts and locations

Locations

  • Boston University

    RECRUITING

    Boston, Massachusetts, 02215, United States

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