Also called: Also called: PWS
Prader-Willi Syndrome (PWS) is an uncommon genetic disorder. It causes poor muscle tone, low levels of sex hormones and a constant feeling of hunger. The part of the brain that controls feelings of fullness or hunger does not work properly in people with PWS. They overeat, leading to obesity.
Babies with PWS are usually floppy, with poor muscle tone, and have trouble sucking. Boys may have undescended testicles. Later, other signs appear. These include
- Short stature
- Poor motor skills
- Weight gain
- Underdeveloped sex organs
- Mild mental retardation and learning disabilities
There is no cure for PWS. Growth hormone and exercise can help build muscle mass and control weight.
National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
- Genetics Home Reference: Prader-Willi syndrome(National Library of Medicine) - http://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition=praderwillisyndrome
- Prader-Willi Syndrome(National Institute of Child Health and Human Development) - http://www.nichd.nih.gov/health/topics/Prader_Willi_Syndrome.cfm
- Prader-Willi Syndrome (PWS)(University of Michigan Health System) - http://www.med.umich.edu/1libr/yourchild/praders.htm
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Questions and Answers on Prader-Willi Syndrome(Prader-Willi Syndrome Association) - http://www.pwsausa.org/faq.htm
Also available in Spanish http://www.pwsausa.org/Spanish/Broch1.html
- Prader-Willi Food Pyramid(Prader-Willi Syndrome Association) - http://www.pwsausa.org/syndrome/foodpyramid.htm
- My Child Has Prader-Willi Syndrome, Now What?(Prader-Willi Syndrome Association) - http://www.pwsausa.org/Brochure/nowwhat.htm
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Prader-Willi Syndrome Weight & Behavior Management(Prader-Willi Syndrome Association) - http://www.pwsausa.org/Brochure/weight.htm
Also available in Spanish http://www.pwsausa.org/Spanish/Broch3.html
- Patient's Guide to Low Testosterone(Hormone Foundation, Endocrine Society) - http://www.medem.com/medlb/article_detaillb.cfm?article_ID=ZZZO7PDVDLC&sub_cat=57
- Speech and Language and Prader-Willi Syndrome(Prader-Willi Syndrome Association) - http://www.pwsausa.org/Brochure/speech.htm
- ClinicalTrials.gov: Prader-Willi Syndrome(National Institutes of Health) - http://clinicaltrials.gov/search/open/condition=%22Prader-Willi+Syndrome%22
- Genes and Disease: Prader-Willi Syndrome(National Center for Biotechnology Information) - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov:80/books/bv.fcgi?tool=bookshelf&call=bv.View..ShowSection&searchterm=prader&rid=gnd.section.182
- Genetics Home Reference: Prader-Willi syndrome(National Library of Medicine) - http://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition=praderwillisyndrome
- Genetics of Prader-Willi Syndrome: An Explanation for the Rest of Us(Prader-Willi Syndrome Association) - http://www.pwsausa.org/syndrome/Genetics_of_PWS.htm
- Article: French database of children and adolescents with Prader-Willi syndrome. - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18831731&tool=MedlinePlus
- Article: Conservative scoliosis treatment in patients with Prader-Willi syndrome. - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18810044&tool=MedlinePlus
- Article: Successful early dietary intervention avoids obesity in patients with Prader-Willi... - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18780599&tool=MedlinePlus
- Prader-Willi Syndrome -- see more articles - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=search&db=pubmed&term=prader-willi+syndrome[majr]+AND+english[la]+AND+humans[mh]&doptcmdl=summary&cmd_current=Limits&pmfilter_EDatLimit=last+1+Year&tool=MedlinePlus
- Glossary of Terms That May Appear in Literature about Prader-Willi Syndrome(Prader-Willi Syndrome Association) - http://www.pwsausa.org/glossary.htm
- National Institute of Child Health and Human Development - http://www.nichd.nih.gov/
- Prader-Willi Syndrome Association - http://www.pwsausa.org/
- Genetics/Birth Defects - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/geneticsbirthdefects.html
- Mental Health and Behavior - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/mentalhealthandbehavior.html
The primary NIH organization for research on Prader-Willi Syndrome is the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development - http://www.nichd.nih.gov/