Prader - Willi Syndrome - Essay Example

"Prader - Willi Syndrome" is an outstanding example of a paper on genetics and birth defects. Prader-Willi syndrome is a complex condition characteristic of a variety of potential medical concerns. A disorder having uncontrollable eating habits, inability to distinguish hunger from appetite, severe obesity, poorly developed genitalia and moderate to severe mental retardation. Autism, on the other hand, is a type of pervasive neurodevelopment disorder distinguished by social impairments, communication difficulties, and limited, repetitive, and standardized patterns of behavior. In the clinical scenario, Luke suffers from both the infections (Mahan, 1030). 

Diagnosis

            Luke was born weighing 7lb and had a height of 18 inches. Low weight translates to muscle weakness or floppiness, a condition termed as hypotonia. Such clinical symptoms shows give a physician a preliminary idea of Prader-Willi syndrome. The physical diagnosis then gets a confirmation via a blood test in the laboratory (Cloud 1).

1. Good Plan for Luke’s Continuing Nutrition

            Good nutrition for Luke should exclude gluten, wheat, oats, barley, the primary milk, and other dairy products. Being an Autism victim, Luke should avoid entirely the foods fore-mentioned. The diet limits to simple sugars, usually, for a duration of one year. That will help in starving out the toxic organisms in the gastrointestinal tract and restore gut integrity and immune function. The diet's aim is to eliminate starches and sugars from the body. It consists of mainly fish, vegetables, fruits, nuts, and seeds.

            A good plan for Luke’s continuing nutrition factors in the body is partly ecology. The diet aims to restore and maintain the internal ecology of the body by eliminating food products that may cause disturbance to the immune system. The diet has a primary goal of reversing fungal infections including candidiasis thereby establishing an inner ecosystem within the intestinal tract (Mahan, 1037).

            Luke’s parents should include small servings of meats, vegetables, grains, and fruits. The diet should contain limited amounts of sweets despite keeping a close check on weight, height, and nutrient intake capacity.

2.

            Information provided by the nutritionist to the Mother in relation to her fear of eventual obesity for Luke is obesity, not the ultimate result of PWS. She should limit feeding Luke with meals rich in calories. That will help control obesity, and all the families should work closely together since Luke will always try to find food from wherever possible. The nutritionist should also encourage Luke’s mother to engage him in regular exercise. Exercise increases lean body mass in children suffering from Prader-Willi syndrome and helps in making them stronger (Cloud 1).

3.

            A good way of determining the number of calories Luke should receive in order to prevent obesity is the use of his daily meals system and the red, yellow, green weight control program. The program helps in controlling obesity and determining the calories level and the quantity of calorie deficit that he requires.

            The growth of hormone therapy is another mechanism used in decreasing obesity. It evaluates the amounts of peptides in the body tissues. That gives a basis for determining the amounts of calories that the body requires. Another means usable to estimate the amounts of calories that the body needs by the use of Biochemical measures and studies on the body (Mahan, 1021).

            In managing a complex case, I will closely monitor the kinds of diet taken. I will encourage daily exercises that help to excite metabolic activities within our body systems. The drug Risperdal, a clinically approved drug for the behavioral management of Autism, will treat Future occurrences of the conditions. 

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