Moebius Syndrome
Biology Research Project
This disease caught my attention the most because it sounded different and I wanted to know about it.
- It is a rare neurological disorder that happens at birth. Having this disease you are in the condition to be unable to move your face ( can't smile,frown,grimace, or blink your eyes).
Symptoms
- Lack of facial expression
- Absence of blinking
- Absence of lateral eye movement
- Strabismus ( eyes are not properly algined with each other)
- Inability to squint or suck
- Difficulty in keeping the head back to swallow
- Excessive Drooling
- The roof of the mouth may be high and arched with an abnormal opening
- Short or unusually shaped tongue
- Small Chin/Mouth
- Missing and misaligned teeth
- Hearing loss
- Low muscle tone
- Bone abnormalities in the arms, legs, hands and feet
Causes
The majority cause for this disease is unknown but there is still research going on. In most cases it affects people with no history of the disease in the family, only small percentages reported that it runs in families from an affected parent to a child.
Moebius Syndrome is inherited in three ways: autosomal dominant, autosomal recessive or sex linked. In Moebius Syndrome the cranial nerves 6 and 7 is disrupted as the embryo grows in the womb. Other cranial nerves that are sometimes involved are 3, 4, 5, 9, 10 and 12.
Treatment
There is no cure for this disease but some of the symptoms can be treated. Physical, occupational and speech therapy can be very helpful by improving in their coordination, speaking and eating difficulties. But the most important gift you can give a moebius child is to give them all your love, self confidence and a strong self image.
Diagnoses
At this moment there are no tests for Moebius Syndrome. Diagnosis is based on the physical symptoms and medical history of the individual. First sign that an infant has Moebius Syndrome maybe a mask-like expression when crying, can't breast feed and is losing weight.
Population Effects
Moebius Syndrome is really rare for a person to have. It affects 1 in 50,000 to 1 in 500,000 in newborns.
What I discovered...
- Some moebius children don't start walking til there 4 or 5 years old, if at all.
- Infants required special bottles or feeding tubes.
- Most people with Moebius Syndrome have normal intelligence only a small percentage have mental retardation.
- Some Moebius Syndrome are born with a cleft palate, which is an opening on the roof of the mouth.
Moebius Syndrome
Moebius Syndrome and me
Resources
What is Moebius Syndrome?
http://www.moebiussyndrome.com/go/about-us/what-is-moebius-syndrome
Moebius Syndrome http://www.facialpalsy.org.uk/about-facial-palsy/causes-diagnoses/developmental/moebius-syndrome/275
A Guide To Understanding Moebius Syndrome http://www.ccakids.com/assets/syndromebk_moebius.pdf