MICROCEPHALY

Introduction While taking an introductory course at Anne Arundel Community College about Special Education I was assigned to research and discuss microcephaly: a quite multifaceted syndrome to analyze. Fact of life: not everyone is born with the same capabilities Fact of life: the ones with more advantage should ensure that everyone is born with the same opportunities What is Microcephaly? According to the American Academy of Neurology,

the specific criterion for microcephaly is a head circumference that is more than two standard deviations below mean size. Micro (derived from the Greek), in fact, means small, and Cephaly (also from the
Greek) means head. Which are the Causes of Microcephaly? Many factors can be responsible for congenital microcephaly, including (but not limited to) exposure to teratogens such as tobacco, toxoplasmosis (present in feline feces), alcohol, drugs and so forth, chromosomal trisomies 13, 18, and 21, toxemia (placental insufficiency) (Microcephaly Childhood, The Gale Encyclopedia of Genetic Disorders, December 1, 2010) etc. Microcephaly can present itself at birth or occur during the first few years of a childs life due to lead poisoning or chronic renal failure, and potentially any chronic disease, in that case it is considered developed microcephaly (Microcephaly

Childhood, The Gale Encyclopedia of Genetic Disorders, December 1, 2010).

Microcephaly subcategories

RUNNING HEAD: Fact Sheet 2 Microcephaly can manifest itself in many other spectrum syndromes: Renpenning Syndrome Dubowitz Syndrome Paine Syndrome Seckel Syndrome Oculo-Digito-Esophago-Duodenal Syndrome Life Expectancy Doctors seldom hold high expectations of a long and successful life for children suffering from microcephaly. Fortunately however, there are frequently exceptions to this general prognosis, as the Foundation for Children with Microcephaly shares on its website:

Many children with Microcephaly have proven the doctor's predictions wrong and progressed more than anyone would have ever guessed!(http://www.childrenwithmicro.org/coping.html).
One example is a boy named Andrew, who turned four years old in 2010, despite the fact that his mother was told he would not live past two years of age (Benefit to be held for Andrew Pardoe, The Daily Review (Towanda, PA), April 19, 2011). Or like Sean, a child I met when I was working in a day care. His mother never expected him to walk and play with other children: after turning two he was able to do both with arduous determination and warm smile (and help from his family, a team of specialists, and a loving staff)! Conclusion As future special education teachers it is important to learn about microcephaly, in order to be supportive figures in the lives of people affected by this syndrome. Our goal should be to ensure that they can live a happy life, filled with meaningful experiences and rich opportunities.

RUNNING HEAD: Fact Sheet 3

Citations: Microcephaly Childhood, The Gale Encyclopedia of Genetic Disorders, December 1, 2010 (http://ic.galegroup.com.ezproxy.aacc.edu/ic/ovic/ReferenceDetailsPage/ReferenceDetailsWindow?fa ilOverType=&query=&prodId=OVIC&windowstate=normal&contentModules=&mode=view&display GroupName=Reference&limiter=&u=aacc_ref&currPage=&disableHighlighting=false&displayGroups =&sortBy=&source=&search_within_results=&p=OVIC&action=e&catId=&activityType=&scanId=&d ocumentId=GALE|UJGTOU638177355) Benefit to be held for Andrew Pardoe, The Daily Review (Towanda, PA), April 19, 2011(http://ic.galegroup.com.ezproxy.aacc.edu/ic/ovic/NewsDetailsPage/NewsDetailsWindow?failOv erType=&query=&prodId=OVIC&windowstate=normal&contentModules=&mode=view&displayGro upName=News&limiter=&u=aacc_ref&currPage=&disableHighlighting=false&displayGroups=&sortB y=&source=&search_within_results=&p=OVIC&action=e&catId=&activityType=&scanId=&document Id=GALE|A254294010) Foundation for Children with Microcephaly (http:// www.childrenwithmicro.org/coping.html)