re : new cause for mental retardation found

[Guest guest]

" ... In an interview with Reuters Health, Flint said there is no cure or

therapy for mental retardation caused by the chromosomal defects.

" Our results show that subtle chromosomal rearrangements are common in

children with mental retardation, that the rearrangements cause the

children's disabilities, and that half of the rearrangements are familial

....

.. One other reason for screening, Flint said, is for long-term prognosis of

these children. Due to uncertainties about the children's life span, some

physicians may be reluctant to treat medical conditions in children with

unexplained mental retardation and this can result in problems later on, he

noted. He added that the life span of children with these chromosomal

abnormalities remains unknown... "

I really don't believe what I am reading :

A/ " the rearrangements cause the children's disabilities " : a very dangerous

conclusion in my opinion. If these children have for instance autistic

problems in addition to their mental retardation, these doctors will simply

assume that their can not be any other problem (immune-system, allergies,

metabolic etc) and they will not do any examination or treatment in this

direction ? Why couldn't there be any treatable problems apart from the

genetic problem ?

B/ " no cure or therapy for mental retardation caused by chromosmal problems "

: Of course there isn't any cure that can change the chromosones, but how

can anyone say that there is no therapy ??? How about telling the parents of

children with e.g. Down syndrom that they shouldn't do any therapy since the

problem is genetic ??? Haven't these genetic experts heard of the never

expected results that can be reached with children with chromosomal problems

with intensive treatments ? Shouldn't we send them something of the work of

Feuerstein for instance ??? Or, if they would find tomorrow a chromosomal

abnormality that causes autistic problems, will they just tell us to stop

all therapy ???

C/ moreover, I understand that abnormalities were found at the end of

several chromosones. How can they generalize ? It seems to me that a small

deletion of genes on the end of chrom. 1 is something totally different from

a small duplication of genes at the end of chrom. 2. I certainly am not a

genetic expert, but this sounds very strange to me.

D/ and then the most incredible thing to read : " some physicians may be

reluctant to treat medical conditions in children with unexplained mental

retardation " . If this is true - which I simply don't want to believe - ,

then the involved physicians simply aren't worth getting the responsibility

over just one patient at all. But it seems to me that the genetic expert

who is telling this, just is looking for arguments to convince parents to do

some genetic screening.

All this doesn't just make me very sad, but also very, very mad. Isn't the

progression of the genetic science just bringing us

terror ?

Josiane