RETT Syndrome: A Case Report

Many childhood diseases are diagnosed a couple of years after birth. This article presents a similar condition resulting in regression and slowing down of brain growth after a normal course of development during neonatal period. Rett syndrome is such a condition that presents itself after some months of apparently normal development. This disease is usually manifested with deceleration of head growth, loss of purposeful hand movements which are replaced by hand wringing or handwashing stereotypes. This is also followed by marked mental retardation with severe impairment in expressive and receptive language skills. The child presented in this case report had a normal development till 18 months of age after which she developed delay in gross motor development and further in other areas of development. The child is now on symptomatic treatment and presents with recurrent respiratory tract infections which require hospitalization.