Monday, November 1, 2010

October is International Rett Syndrome Awareness Month




Rett Syndrome (RTT) is a developmental disorder that affects 1 out of 10,000 children worldwide. Generally found in girls, symptoms begin in infancy or early childhood. Often misdiagnosed as Autism, Cerebral Palsy or Angleman's Syndrome, RTT is linked to a mutation on the MECP2 gene on the X chromosome. First described in 1966 by Austrian physician, Andreas Rett, RTT is a challenging syndrome that includes the following symptoms:

* Loss of purposeful hand movements
* Loss of speech
* Balance and coordination problems
* Inability to walk
* Hand wringing
* Breathing problems
* Anxiety and social-behavioral problems
* Intellectual and developmental disabilities

For more on Rett Syndrome link here