by A grandparent has opened over the early warning signs that have led to the devastating dementia diagnosis of their grandchild.
Sabrina Peak said her fifth granddaughter Esmay Ford, who is five years old, stopped talking at the age of two.
She was also constantly “recording” colds “and, according to Mail online”, had remained sick for weeks after the other, and her hair failed in “Big Clumps”.
Esma’s mother Alisha Morris was concerned about her daughter, so she brought her to the doctor and was informed that she had an autoimmune disease and an overactive thyroid gland.
But after genetic tests over recent times, the family received the heartbreaking news that its daughter has the Sanfilippo syndrome, a rare form of dementia in childhood.
Children with this disease are missing an enzyme that builds up large sugar molecules. Since the molecules accumulate in the cells of the body, they cause irreparable damage, including the brain.
Symptoms of dementia in childhood
The dementia of children occurs due to progressive brain damage. It is caused by over 100 rare genetic diseases with which children are born after the “Childhood Dementia” initiative.
It is estimated that one of 2900 babies worldwide is born with a disease that can lead to dementia in childhood. Unfortunately, due to the type of illness, many children who were diagnosed with the cruel state do not live in the past 18 years.
The symptoms resemble those in adults and can include:
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Memory loss
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confusion
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Problems with concentration, understanding, learning and communicating
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Changes in personality
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Disturbed sleep
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Behavioral problems such as hyperactivity
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Emotional problems such as fear and fear.
Sign of the Sanfilippo syndrome
There are also specific clinical features of the Sanfilippo syndrome, such as: B.:
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Rough facial features / coarse and thick hair
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Frontal bossing (prominent forehead)
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Macroephaly (a larger head)
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Chronic nasal clipping
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Toe walking
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Seizures
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Hearing loss
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Lack of fear (danger)
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Gastrointestinal complaints and colic
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Increased food intake or nursing.
What is the forecast?
Esmay’s family, which is based in Devon, said her condition would be increasingly deteriorating. They are currently collecting donations to bring them to Disneyland and also buy special equipment to take care of them, like a modified bed.
The Sanfilippo Children’s Foundation states: “If the brain is increasingly damaged, children experience severe hyperactivity, disordered sleep, language loss, cognitive decline, heart problems, seizures, mobility loss and finally death, normally before adulthood.”
The grandmother of Esmay’s grandmother Sabrina Peake said the mail online: “We had to put up with the fact that we would lose it and that things will be extremely difficult in the future when it gets worse.
“Apart from losing it at such a young age, our greatest fear of observing them.”
It is estimated that 700,000 children worldwide live with dementia in childhood. In Great Britain it will die estimated every year.
The Sanfilippo Children’s Foundation stated that there is no treatment or healing for people with a diagnosis, but several clinical studies have already been completed or are underway.
So far, the foundation said that gene therapy seems to be the most promising.
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