rett syndrome

Rett syndrome is a particular neurological disorder that is first found in the first few months of life and typically almost always diagnosed in girls, but can be seen in boys, rarely, but it is possible (International Rett Syndrome Foundation, 2014). Rett syndrome symptoms soon appear after an early period of regular or near regular development until six to eighteen months of life, when there is a slowing down or stopping of skills. A period of backsliding then follows when the young female child loses communication skills and purposeful use of her hands. Soon, the known physical handicaps became visible such as washing hands, difficulty walking, and head growth abnormalities, the head will grow slower than it supposed to. More symptoms that may be brought on by the syndrome can include seizures and rapid and/or slow breathing repetitions while the child is not sleep. In the younger years of childlife, there may be a time of separation or withdrawal when she is irritable and cries inconsolably. With time, motor skill problems may increase, but in generally, the irritability the child endures lessens and eye contact and communication improve (International Rett Syndrome Foundation, 2014). According to rettsyndrome.org, Rett syndrome is caused by mutations on the X chromosome on a gene called MECP2. There are more than 200 different mutations found on the MECP2 gene. Most of these mutations are found in eight different spots. It strikes all racial and ethnic groups, and occurs worldwide in 1 of every 10,000 to 23,000 female births (Rett Syndrome Foundation, 2014). It is not a degenerative disorder, saying that this syndrome does not cause the body or the mind of the infected child to become weaker. It also causes problems in brai...

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...ssible, some improvement can be expected with therapy. Participating in activities -- including school -- and improved social interaction are sometimes possible. Medicines can treat some of the problems with movement in Rett syndrome. Medication can also help control seizures. Unfortunately, there is no cure for Rett syndrome.” (WebMD, 2014).
To conclude during research what was found interesting was the fact that this disease mainly infected girls. Not many diseases are based on gender, especially when other types of autism are supposedly boy dominated. Another interesting fact was the different forms of the disease, meaning from mild to severe, most diseases have a basic modem, all symptoms are the same for every person. And one last thing was the countless amount of studies done, that showed a lot experiments were done to learn more about the disease/syndrome.