The first domestic case of Costello Syndrome, a rare disease which excessively stunts a child's growth and can cause mental retardation, was reported at Changkeng children's hospital yesterday.
According to doctor Hou Chia-wei (
The young girl has a broad flat nose, curly hair and dark skin. Hou said more examinations are needed to determine if the girl has suffered mental retardation, as she can not speak.
The mother of the girl said she has suffered prejudice and was mocked as a result of her appearance.
Costello Syndrome is an extremely rare disorder characterized by growth delay after birth, leading to short stature and excessive, redundant loose skin on the neck, palms of the hands, fingers and soles of the feet. Most cases of Costello Syndrome are isolated with no other family members affected.
Infants suffering from the syndrome often experience difficulty in feeding, usually linked to a poor sucking reflex. However, as the child grows up, they often develop warm, sociable, and humorous personalities, according to clinical reports.
The exact cause of Costello Syndrome is still unknown and the medical community has little understanding of the congenital disease. The affliction is believed to be partly hereditary, passed from one generation to the next as a recessive trait.
Some research suggests that the disease is triggered by a malfunction of the human insulin metabolism.
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