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Growth and nutrition in Rett syndrome
1Faculty of Health Sciences, La Trobe University and the Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne, Australia. s.reilly@latrobe.edu.au
Disability and Rehabilitation
|March 15, 2001
Summary
Growth failure and feeding difficulties are common in Rett syndrome (RS). Current understanding of RS growth failure mechanisms is limited, hindering effective, evidence-based management strategies.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Pediatrics
- Genetics
Background:
- Rett syndrome (RS) is a rare neurodevelopmental disorder primarily affecting females.
- Growth failure is a significant clinical manifestation in individuals with RS.
Observation:
- Feeding difficulties are prevalent in RS, impacting nutritional intake and overall growth.
- A specialized clinic collected four years of data on growth and feeding issues in females with RS.
Findings:
- Mechanisms underlying growth failure in RS remain poorly understood.
- Both nutritional and non-nutritional factors are implicated in RS-related growth failure.
- Current intervention strategies for growth failure in RS lack efficacy.
Implications:
- Clinical management of growth failure in RS is not evidence-based.
- Further research is needed to elucidate the causes of growth failure in RS.
- Developing effective, evidence-based interventions for RS growth failure is a critical unmet need.