Failure to Thrive

Failure to Thrive

What is the definition of failure to thrive? Is it an appropriate diagnosis for children with CdLS? Failure to thrive occurs in infants and children when the physical growth, especially weight gain, is less than peers (usually below 3rd to 5th percentile on growth...
Failure to Thrive

Oral Feeding (with G-tube weaning)

We have a 22-month-old daughter who finally passed a swallow study a few months ago and seems to be very eager to eat real food. We were hoping for some more opinions about how to wean her from her G-tube. I know there are differing opinions on what the caloric needs...
Failure to Thrive

Scoliosis

My 13 year old son was just diagnosed with scoliosis. He already has a curve of 39 degrees (top, to the right). His orthopedist is recommending 22/23-hour brace. Is there any treatment protocol for CdLS children with scoliosis? Is there any information on how well our...
Failure to Thrive

Undescended Testicles

Our 4-year-old son with CdLS weighs approximately 17 pounds. At the age of three weeks he required surgery to remove an inguinal hernia. At that time the surgeon discovered only one testicle in his abdomen; the other testicle could not be detected. He was placed on...
Failure to Thrive

Menstruation (irregular)

My adult patient used to have menses however for the past 6 months has not had one. Should one pursue other medical testing to find the underlying cause. And if so, what tests should be prescribed? Menstruation stopping after having been present (secondary amenorrhea)...
Failure to Thrive

Craniosynostosis (premature fusion of the fontanel)

Is premature fusion of the fontanel common in CdLS? What is the recommended treatment? The entity is called craniosynostosis, or premature fusion of the sutures. Normally, the skull is made up of several separate bones that eventually fuse together at the suture...
Failure to Thrive

Tube Feeding (caloric intake)

My 4 month old daughter is fed through a g-tube that is controlled by a feeding pump. How do I calculate her formula increase as she gains weight? She is currently between 8.5 and 9 pounds and is 20 inches long. For a child under age 2, there are a lot of...
Failure to Thrive

Menstruation (irregular)

Our daughter’s periods can be regular, but she can go over 70 days between. This often causes her great stress or pain (we’re not sure) and she has uncontrollable behaviors such as bad self-injury and contortion-like movements. We have Lorazepam for her...
Failure to Thrive

Cleft Palate (surgery)

My son with CdLS, who is 9 months old, weighs 10 pounds – 7 ounces, has a cleft of the soft palate. When is the best time to have surgery? Clefting of the soft palate only (no lip nor hard palate involvement) does not have very much affect upon the dentition....
Failure to Thrive

Diaphragmatic Hernia

Is diaphragmatic hernia common in CdLS? In an issue of the American Journal of Medical Genetics, Cunniff et al report that diaphragmatic hernia may be a relatively common feature in newborns with the Cornelia de Lange syndrome. Twelve newborns are presented from a...