Progeria

 PROGERI A
Also know as "Hutchinson-Gilford syndrome" BY: JW & SS ** __  DESCRIPTION  __ ** Progeria is an extremely rare genetic condition that affects only a few babies. The disease causes the individual to age anywhere from six to 10 times faster than the average human begin. Progeria affects only about one in eight million babies, almost all of which die before the age of thirteen. While Progeria is a genetic condition, it occurs as a mutation and it not usually inherited, although there are accounts where a person does carry the protein genetically.



**__SYMPTOMS__** Symptoms for Progeria are very easy to detect, because the afflicted individual will grow at such a quick rate. One symptom is failure to thrive, which is a poor weight gain and physical growth failure over an extended period of time in infancy. Other symptoms include loss of body fat and hair, aged-looking skin, stiffness of joints, hip dislocation, generalized atherosclerosis, cardiovascular disease and stroke. Children wit Progeria look remarkably the same, despite different ethnic backgrounds. People with children usually live to the age of 13, but the range is from 8 to 21.

**__DIAGNOSIS__** To diagnose whether or not a child has progeria, a doctor will study the child's physical appearance and his/her medical records. After that, a sample of the child's blood will be tested for the Progeria gene.

__**PROGNOSIS**__ T  he p rognosis of people infected with Progeria is always an extremely early death. The average patient survives until their early teens, but some patients have been known to live into their 20's, and even their 30's. Their death is usually related to the heart or a stroke as a result of the progressive atherosclerosis.

__**TREATMENT**__ The Progeria Research Foundation has established a Medical & Research Database to supply physicians and families with medical recommendations for cardiac care, nutrition, and other medical issues to help the children have a better quality of life. There are no other known treatments, and other treatments are currently being researched. Dr. Jonathan Hutchinson recorded the first Progeria case in 1886 and in 1904, Dr. Hastings Gilford recorded another case. In the nearly 120 years since it was first identified, only 100 Progeria cases have been reported.
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