Williams syndrome, the disease is too friendly

When Ella (9 years old, Singaporean) and her mother went downstairs, met a completely strange man, she still waved.

Ms. Janet Yeo, 38, her mother was no longer surprised because she was told by Elli that Ella had Williams syndrome, a rare congenital disorder that always made her appear too friendly to people. around, including strangers.

This disease is so rare that very few people discover it. In the world, one in every 10,000 people has this syndrome. It happens in both men and women and in every culture. The case of Ella was discovered by her family two years ago, when one went to check the heart, the treating doctor doubted her ability to become ill. After the tests, the doctor confirmed Ella had Williams Syndrome (WS).

Ms. Janet Yeo said: "When we heard of this disease, we were very depressed. We had never heard of this congenital disease before."

Ella also has two siblings. At birth, the baby was very small, weighing only 1.88 kg, born in the 38th week of pregnancy.

Ella (left) is friendly with strangers.(Photo: yourhealth.asiaone.com)

According to documents of Williams Syndrome Association (USA), WS is hereditary condition, appearing immediately at birth. Unlike other mental disorders, children with WS are very easy to socialize, friendly and lovely, children are also very gifted in music. However, children with WS often have cardiovascular problems , requiring expensive medical care.

In addition, WSs mature, when beyond the activities of schools and families, if isolated, they are more likely to suffer from depression. They need to connect with others, but they handle social signals incorrectly, so it is difficult to maintain long-term relationships.

Popular expressions of WS people

On the face: Most children with WS syndrome often have small, upturned, medium-long, wide mouth, full lips, small chin and round eyes.

Heart and blood vessel problems: Most people with WS have some heart and blood vessel problems. Usually, the aorta or pulmonary artery is narrower than the normal one, since there is a high risk of narrowing the arteries and hypertension, so periodic cardiovascular monitoring is required.

The concentration of calcium in the blood is too high: Some children have very high blood calcium levels. The cause is still unknown, but this often causes a child to be irritable and have stomach-like symptoms. Therefore, medical intervention or dietary changes are also essential. Some people come out on their own, but throughout life, patients still experience abnormalities in calcium and vitamin D absorption, so they should be monitored.

Lack of weight, slow weight gain: Children with WS are usually less weight than their siblings at birth. Children also gain weight slowly, especially in the first years of life.

Problems in eating: Many children have problems in eating, vomiting, difficulty in feeding bottles or using straws. However, the situation will improve when children grow up.

Discomfort (abdominal pain in the first years of life) : Many children with WS have a long time of abdominal pain or discomfort. This condition usually lasts from 4 to 10 months of age. The cause is sometimes due to increased calcium in the blood, many children are very difficult to sleep, can stay up very late.

Abnormalities in dentistry : Children with WS often have small teeth, and the distance between sparse teeth is difficult to bite. When older children can cure by orthodontic.

Hernia: The rate of children with inguinal hernia and umbilical hernia is higher than the normal population.

Hearing Gain: Children with WS often have more sensitive hearing than other children. Sound at a certain frequency or noise level may also cause a headache, or startle. This condition often improves over time.

Musculoskeletal problems : Children with WS often have low and loose muscle tone.

Personality is too friendly: The person with WS has a very lovely personality and is very polite. They often do not fear strangers, are very interested in others.

Delayed development and lack of concentration : Children with WS are often delayed. Important events like walking, talking and walking are often later than normal children.

Older children and adults with WS syndrome often show stronger and stronger strengths. The strong point is good memory, good social skills, the ability to speak well but poor in advocacy, developing abstract thinking, space and numbers.