What can I expect from my child with cri du chat syndrome?

What can I expect from my child with cri du chat syndrome?

Infants with this condition often have a high-pitched cry that sounds like that of a cat. The disorder is characterized by intellectual disability and delayed development, small head size (microcephaly ), low birth weight, and weak muscle tone (hypotonia) in infancy.

How does Cri du Chat affect the body?

While children with cri du chat syndrome are born hypotonic (low muscle tone), they tend to become hypertonic (high muscle tone) as they grow older. Affected infants may have feeding difficulties due to low muscle tone, poor suck, and gastroesophageal reflux disease.

Does cri du chat syndrome affect life expectancy?

Children with cri-du-chat who reach age 1 generally will have a normal life expectancy. But the child will most likely have lifelong physical or developmental complications. These complications will depend on the severity of the syndrome.

What is the long term outlook for a child with cri du chat syndrome?

Learning difficulties and speech and language problems are common. However, most people with cri du chat syndrome survive well into adulthood. About 1 in 10 babies born with cri du chat syndrome are severely affected and die within the first year of life. Intellectual disability is common.

How do you treat a baby with cri du chat syndrome?

There is no cure for cri du chat syndrome. Treatment aims to stimulate the child and help them to reach their full potential and can include: physiotherapy to improve poor muscle tone. speech therapy.

Are there prenatal tests for cri du chat syndrome?

Cri du chat syndrome can be detected before birth if the mother undergoes amniocentesis testing or chorionic villus sampling (CVS).

What is the treatment for cri du chat syndrome?

How rare is Cri du Chat?

Cri du chat syndrome is a rare genetic disorder caused by a missing section on a particular chromosome known as Chromosome 5. Sometimes, material from another chromosome is missing as well. Around one in every 50,000 or so babies is diagnosed with this disorder. This estimate is coming down.

What do babies with Cri du chat syndrome look like?

Infants with this condition often have a high-pitched cat-like cry, small head size, and a characteristic facial appearance. They may have trouble breathing and feeding difficulties.

Can a child with Cri du Chat walk?

Children with Cri du Chat syndrome usually have some motor delay, especially in walking. Some children walk as early as two years, but others can take up to six years because of low muscle tone. Some might never walk. Children with Cri du Chat syndrome can have mild to profound intellectual disability.

Why is my Baby’s Cry Like a cat?

It is called cat’s cry because infants often will have a high-pitched cry that sounds similar to that of a cat. Characteristics of this disorder are intellectual disability, delayed development, small head, low birth weight, weak muscle tone, and distinctive facial features (widely set eyes, low set ears, a small jaw, rounded face).

Is there a cure for Cri du chat syndrome?

Although there’s no cure for Cri du Chat syndrome, early intervention can make a difference. Through early intervention services, you can work with health professionals to choose therapy options to treat your child’s symptoms, support your child, improve outcomes for your child and help your child reach his full potential.