Is Moebius syndrome a rare disease?
Moebius syndrome is a rare congenital (present at birth) condition that results from underdevelopment of the facial nerves that control some of the eye movements and facial expressions. The condition can also affect the nerves responsible for speech, chewing and swallowing.
Can you detect Moebius syndrome before birth?
Precise ultrasonography should be performed to detect any malformations possibly related to misoprostol exposure (e.g. limb defects), although it is almost impossible to detect cranial nerve palsies of Moebius syndrome before birth.
What is the prognosis for someone with Moebius syndrome after treatment?
There is no cure for Moebius syndrome. In spite of the impairments that characterize the disorder, proper care and treatment give many individuals a normal life expectancy. There is no cure for Moebius syndrome.
What is 7th syndrome?
The disorder is present at birth (congenital). If the 7th nerve is involved, the individual with Moebius syndrome is unable to smile, frown, pucker the lips, raise the eyebrows, or close the eyelids. If the 6th nerve is affected, the eye cannot turn outward past the midline.
Does Moebius syndrome affect intelligence?
Moebius syndrome may also be associated with a somewhat increased risk of intellectual disability; however, most affected individuals have normal intelligence.
Is Moebius syndrome a disability?
Is chromosome 7 inherited?
Humans normally have 46 chromosomes in each cell, divided into 23 pairs. Two copies of chromosome 7, one copy inherited from each parent, form one of the pairs. Chromosome 7 spans about 159 million DNA building blocks (base pairs) and represents more than 5 percent of the total DNA in cells.
How many babies are affected by Moebius syndrome?
The exact incidence of Moebius syndrome is unknown. Researchers estimate that the condition affects 1 in 50,000 to 1 in 500,000 newborns. The causes of Moebius syndrome are unknown, although the condition probably results from a combination of environmental and genetic factors.
How is Moebius syndrome a dominant genetic disorder?
It is possible that in different cases there are different underlying causes (heterogeneity). In familial cases, there is evidence that Moebius syndrome is inherited as an autosomal dominant trait. Dominant genetic disorders occur when only a single copy of an abnormal gene is necessary for the appearance of the disease.
Can a person with Moebius syndrome smile or frown?
Weakness or paralysis of the facial muscles is one of the most common features of Moebius syndrome. Affected individuals lack facial expressions; they cannot smile, frown, or raise their eyebrows.
Why does Moebius syndrome cause a small chin?
Muscle weakness associated with the syndrome also causes issues with feeding that become apparent during a person’s infancy. A number of people who experience Moebius syndrome are born with a small chin, a small mouth, and with a short or unusually shaped tongue.
The exact incidence of Moebius syndrome is unknown. Researchers estimate that the condition affects 1 in 50,000 to 1 in 500,000 newborns. The causes of Moebius syndrome are unknown, although the condition probably results from a combination of environmental and genetic factors.
How does Moebius syndrome affect your eye movement?
Moebius syndrome also affects muscles that control back-and-forth eye movement. Affected individuals must move their head from side to side to read or follow the movement of objects. People with this disorder have difficulty making eye contact, and their eyes may not look in the same direction (strabismus).
Can a person with Moebius syndrome have Poland syndrome?
Often individuals with Poland syndrome will also have abnormalities of the hand on the same side and, rarely, internal organs will be affected. People who also have Moebius syndrome may have other symptoms that do affect movement.
Who are the doctors that treat Moebius syndrome?
Caitilin Kelly, MD, is a clinical physician at Indiana University Health Bloomington Hospital and is board-certified in internal medicine. Moebius syndrome (also called Möbius syndrome) is a rare neurological condition that can affect several cranial nerves, particularly those that control the muscles of the face.