Definition
Progeria is a progressive genetic disorder that causes children to age rapidly, beginning in their first two years of life. The condition is rare; since the first child with progeria was described in 1886, only about 100 cases of progeria have been documented in the scientific literature.
Children with progeria, also known as Hutchison-Gilford progeria syndrome (HGPS), generally appear normal at birth. By 6 to 12 months, signs and symptoms, such as skin changes and hair loss, begin to appear. The average life expectancy for a child with progeria is 13, but some with the disease die younger and some live longer — up to the age of 30. For at least 90 percent of children with progeria, the cause of death is a complication of the progressive stiffening of the arteries that lead to the heart and brain.
There's no cure for progeria, but ongoing research shows some promise for treatment.
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Symptoms
Usually within the first year of life, growth of a child with progeria slows markedly so that height and weight fall below average for his or her age, and weight falls low for height. A child with progeria develops an appearance typical of those with the disorder, including a narrowed face and beaked nose, which makes the child look old.
Motor development and mental development remain normal. Other signs and symptoms of this progressive disorder include:
Hair loss (alopecia), including eyelashes and eyebrows
Hardening and tightening of skin on trunk and extremities (scleroderma)
Loose, aged-looking skin
Head too large for face
Prominent scalp veins
Prominent eyes
Small lower jaw (micrognathia)
High-pitched voice
Delayed and abnormal tooth formation
Loss of body fat and muscle
Stiff joints
Hip dislocation.
To be continued…….