Table 2.

Prader-Willi Syndrome: Frequency of Select Features

Feature% of Persons w/FeatureComment
Infantile hypotonia 95%-100%Assoc w/poor suck; results in poor weight gain w/o feeding support
Dysphagia 90%-100%Typically present at birth & persists to adulthood
Motor delay 90%-100%
Language delay 90%-100%Incl abnormal speech articulation, speech apraxia
Intellectual disability 90%-100%Most w/mild disability; ranges from severe learning disabilities to significant cognitive disability
Endocrine manifestations 90%-100%Hypogonadism, abnormal pubertal development, growth deficiency, diabetes mellitus, hypothyroidism
Hyperphagia & obesity 90%-100%
Characteristic behavior profile 70%-90%Anxiety, tantrums, rigidity, OCD, manipulative behavior, autistic features, ADHD; psychosis becomes evident in young adults, esp those w/UPD 15
Increased pain threshold 60%-80%May mask urgent medical issues
Dysmorphic facial features 50%-70%May attenuate w/GH therapy; more common in persons w/15q deletion
Hypopigmentation 50%-70%Primarily in those w/15q deletion
Skin picking 50%-60%Decreases in older adults
Strabismus 40%-60%
Sleep abnormalities 30%-40%Central apnea (in infants), obstructive sleep apnea, daytime sleepiness, narcolepsy
Scoliosis 40%-80%
Seizures 10%-20%Typically generalized & treatable

ADHD = attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder; GH = growth hormone; OCD = obsessive-compulsive disorder; UPD = uniparental disomy

From: Prader-Willi Syndrome

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