HUTCHINSON-GILFORD SYNDROME

Progeria , also known as Hutchinson-Gilford syndrome, is an extremely rare, progressive genetic disorder that causes children to age rapidly, starting in their first two years of life.

Children with progeria generally appear normal at birth. During the first year, signs and symptoms, such as slow growth and hair loss, begin to appear.

Heart problems or strokes are the eventual cause of death in most children with progeria. The average life expectancy for a child with progeria is about 13 years. Some with the disease may die younger and others may live longer, even up to 20 years.

SYMPTOMS

Usually within the first year of life, growth of a child with progeria slows markedly, but motor development and intelligence remain normal.

Signs and symptoms of this progressive disorder include a distinctive appearance:

• Slowed growth, with below-average height and weight
• Narrowed face, small lower jaw, thin lips and beaked nose
• Head disproportionately large for the face
• Prominent eyes and incomplete closure of the eyelids
• Hair loss, including eyelashes and eyebrows
• Thinning, spotty, wrinkled skin
• Visible veins
• High-pitched voice

SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS ALSO INCLUDE HEALTH ISSUES:

• Severe progressive heart and blood vessel (cardiovascular) disease
• Hardening and tightening of skin on the trunk and extremities (similar to scleroderma)
• Delayed and abnormal tooth formation
• Some hearing loss
• Loss of fat under the skin and loss of muscle mass
• Skeletal abnormalities and fragile bones
• Stiff joints
• Hip dislocation
• Insulin resistance

RISK FACTORS

There are no known factors, such as lifestyle or environmental issues, which increase the risk of having progeria or of giving birth to a child with progeria. Progeria is extremely rare. For parents who have had one child with progeria, the chances of having a second child with progeria are about 2 to 3 percent.

COMPLICATIONS

Children with progeria usually develop severe hardening of the arteries (atherosclerosis). This is a condition in which the walls of the arteries — blood vessels that carry nutrients and oxygen from the heart to the rest of the body — stiffen and thicken, often restricting blood flow.

Most children with progeria die of complications related to atherosclerosis, including:

• Problems with blood vessels that supply the heart (cardiovascular problems), resulting in heart attack and congestive heart failure
• Problems with blood vessels that supply the brain (cerebrovascular problems), resulting in stroke

Other health problems frequently associated with aging — such as arthritis, cataracts and increased cancer risk — typically do not develop as part of the course of progeria.

HOMOEOPATHIC MEDICINE

Homoeopathy today is a rapidly growing system and is being practiced all over the world. It strength lies in its evident effectiveness as it takes a holistic approach towards the sick individual through promotion of inner balance at mental, emotional, spiritual and physical levels. When is concerned there are many effective medicines available in Homoeopathy, but the selection depends upon the individuality of the patient, considering mental and physical symptoms

Few homoeopathic medicine can be thought of in the treatment of Hutchinson-Gilford syndrome are:

calcarea carb., baryta carb., silicea, veratrum alb.,  etc.