MICROMELIA-AN EFFECT OF MATERNAL MEDICATION

THIS IS PHOTOGRAPH OF AN INFANT WHOSE MOTHER HAD RECEIVED THALIDOMIDE DURING EARLY PREGNANCY WITH DEFORMITIES OF LIMBS.THE INFANT IS SUFFERING FROM MICROMELIA

Maternal poisoning with Carbon Monoxide or Barbiturates in early pregnancy might lead fetal malformation due to severe Hypoxia( shortage of oxygen supply to tissues )

Certain drugs administered in therapeutic dosage to the mother during the first 3 months of pregnancy may also be responsible for fetal malformation.The wide spread use of Thalidomide
in Germany & Britain led to birth of infants showing severe deformities of the limbs.As a result proprietary preparation of Thalidomide has been banned in Britain.

MONGOLISM

Mongolism is a kind of mental subnormality.The disease is called Mongolism because the infant has features of Mongolian person.In order to avoid confusion Mongolism is called as Down's Syndrome.Mongolism is due to defect in the number of chromosomes present .Instead of having 46 chromosomes they have 47 chromosome .The additional chromosome is due to trisomy of chromosome 21.

It is seen that Mongolism generally occurs in infants whose mothers are over the age of 35. In some cases Mongolism also occurs to infants whose mother are very young.It is also found that Mongolism occurs infants whose mothers had many abortions & uterine bleeding during pregnancy.

In case of monozygotic twins both the infants suffer from Mongolism.The brains of mongol is smaller than normal.With increasing age, the brain appears increasingly immature in comparison with the normal. They have also cardiac malformation.

70 KGs LEGS........PROTEUS SYNDROME

Mandy Sellars a 32 year old woman has legs which weigh 11 stones which is approximately 70 Kgs. Mandy 's legs weigh 70 kgs not because she is suffering from Elephantiasis but because of an extremely rare condition known as PROTEUS SYNDROME .Proteus Syndrome is rare as up till now only few hundreds of cases have been identified all over the world.


Joseph Merick commonly known as ELEPHANT MAN was also a victim of Proteus Syndrome. He had a facial tumor which gave him a look of an elephant. Proteus syndrome is an congenital disorder which causes an overgrowth of skin , bones , muscles , fatty tissues , blood & lymphatic vessels.It is a progressive condition, wherein children are usually born without any obvious deformities. As they age, tumors as well as skin and bone growths appear. The severity & locations of theses various asymmetrical growths vary greatly but typically the skull , one or more limbs & soles of the feet are affected.Researchers & doctors are still finding the cause of the rare disorder .There is no complete cure of Proteus Syndrome except for surgical removal of the tumors if possible.

Mandy Sellars although physically disabled due to Proteus Syndrome wishes to help human beings & she has found a job for her self after a long struggle .Thus we should all admire Mandy for her courage.