How rare is Williams syndrome?

Williams syndrome is a rare (affecting 1 in 10,000 people) developmental disorder that can affect many parts of the body, including the heart and blood vessels. Children with Williams syndrome have mild to moderate intellectual disability, distinctive facial features, and an outgoing personality.

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How many people have Williams syndrome in Australia?

It affects approximately 1 in 10000 Australians. There are many symptoms that vary from person to person, but they each share a very social and friendly disposition and have a deep affinity with music.

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What percent of the world has Williams syndrome?

WS affects 1 in 7,500 - 10,000 people worldwide – an estimated 20,000 to 30,000 people in the United States. It is known to occur equally in both males and females and in every culture. Children with Williams syndrome tend to be social, friendly, and endearing.

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Is Williams syndrome common?

Williams syndrome (WS) is a rare genetic disorder. People with WS may have mild to moderate delays in their cognitive development (ability to think and reason) or learning difficulties.

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What is the survival rate of Williams syndrome?

What Is the Life-Expectancy of Williams Syndrome? Is There a Cure? The average loss of lifespan or life expectancy is estimated to be about 10-20 years, but there is a lack of data to confirm this. Moreover, each person is different so their lifespan may be different from the current estimates.

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Rare genetic disorder Williams Syndrome can mimic autism; advocates say it’s often diagnosed late

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Can you live a normal life with Williams syndrome?

Despite the possibility of medical problems, most children and adults with Williams syndrome are healthy and lead active, full lives.

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Is Williams syndrome detected in pregnancy?

While the prenatal diagnosis of WBS is very rare, in the current case, WBS was diagnosed in early pregnancy. The key element was the detection of fetal hands hypotonia and generalized fetal hypotonia at 17 weeks of gestation.

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Is Williams syndrome a form of autism?

Autism and Williams syndrome are genetically based neurodevelopmental disorders that present strikingly different social phenotypes. Autism involves fundamental impairments in social reciprocity and communication, whereas people with Williams syndrome are highly sociable and engaging.

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Are people with Williams syndrome happy?

They may have a unique ability to connect with others and form strong bonds, making them appear very happy and engaging. Additionally, people with Williams syndrome often have a keen interest in music. They may have a talent for it, contributing to their overall well-being and happiness.

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Is Williams syndrome part of autism?

In some ways Williams syndrome is the opposite of autism. For example, people with Williams syndrome love to talk and tell stories, whereas those with autism usually have language delay and little imagination. Many people with Williams syndrome draw disjointed pictures, some with autism draw pictures in perfect detail.

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Can someone with Williams syndrome have kids?

Can people with Williams Syndrome have a child/children of their own? There are no significant physical reasons why people with Williams Syndrome cannot conceive normally, but their own health may pose a potential risk, particularly if they have a heart condition.

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Why are people with Williams syndrome so friendly?

Scientists realized it was related to the levels of oxytocin. They knew that oxytocin is involved in social/intimacy behaviors, like mother-child bonding or romantic encounters. And they found that people with Williams syndrome have a lot more oxytocin than everybody else, and that it fluctuates wildly in the brain.

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Does Williams syndrome come from mom or dad?

Inheritance. Most cases of Williams syndrome are not inherited. The chromosomal alteration usually occurs as a random event during the formation of reproductive cells (eggs or sperm) in a parent of an affected individual. These cases occur in people with no history of the disorder in their family.

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Who is most likely to get Williams syndrome?

Who does Williams syndrome affect? Williams syndrome usually occurs when someone is missing a small piece of chromosome 7. This means that most people with Williams syndrome have not inherited the condition from a parent. People with Williams syndrome have a 50% chance of passing the condition on to their children.

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Is Williams syndrome progressive?

Older children and adults with Williams syndrome may develop progressive joint problems that limit their range of motion.

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Does Williams syndrome affect IQ?

Even claims about very low IQ turn out to be exaggerated. Williams syndrome IQ ranges from 48 to 85. True, people with Williams syndrome are often very loquacious and usually have better language than spatial skills, but the profile of the syndrome is unscientifically exaggerated by secondary sources.

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Do kids with Williams syndrome sleep?

Parents of 57 of the 96 children (59.4%) indicated that their child had difficulty falling asleep. Thirteen children (out of 95, 13.7%) were reported to wake up more than twice per night and 26 (out of 95, 27.4%) had difficulty falling back asleep if they woke up at night.

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Do kids with Williams syndrome talk?

Communication difficulties: Most children with Williams syndrome develop speech skills later than other children their age. With intervention, most children develop the ability to communicate wants and needs effectively. In fact, for many children with Williams syndrome, expressive language may be a relative strength.

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Can people with Williams syndrome be smart?

Research studies have suggested that IQ scores for children with Williams syndrome range from 40 to 112, with a mean IQ score of 68 which equates to a mild intellectual disability (average IQ is 100). However, it has been reported that in individuals with smaller genetic deletions IQ scores may be higher.

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What is the average age of diagnosis Williams syndrome?

Most patients with Williams syndrome are diagnosed as a newborn or in early childhood. The average age of diagnosis is around three and a half years.

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What is the personality of someone with Williams syndrome?

The personality of individuals with Williams syndrome involves high sociability, overfriendliness, and empathy, with an undercurrent of anxiety related to social situations.

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What gender does Williams syndrome affect?

About one in every 20,000 babies is born with Williams syndrome. Males and females are equally affected, and the condition is found across all races and countries.

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What do children with Williams syndrome have?

Williams syndrome is a rare (affecting 1 in 10,000 people) developmental disorder that can affect many parts of the body, including the heart and blood vessels. Children with Williams syndrome have mild to moderate intellectual disability, distinctive facial features, and an outgoing personality.

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Does Williams syndrome affect the brain?

Williams syndrome (WS) is a genetic developmental disorder that affects many parts of the body, including the brain, heart, blood vessels, and facial features. The syndrome often causes brain-related symptoms such as intellectual disabilities, cognitive impairments, behavioral issues, and specific personality traits.

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