Delhi hospital gives hope to Iraqi child with rare disorder

Aatiq Khan (name changed) suffers from a rare, incurable genetic disorder which makes him feel hungry all the time. At the age of five, Khan weighs around 40 kg, much more than the average weight of kids at his age. Troubled with hunger, Khan keeps on asking for food from his parents, hence gaining a massive amount of weight.

The parents, along with their 5-year-old have come all the way to India for their child's treatment. After visiting a hospital in Delhi, his parents came to know that he was suffering from Prader Willi Syndrome, a genetic disorder that occurs in approximately one of every 15,000 births.

Born in Iraq on June 2012, he weighed only 2 kg and was unable to eat properly. For 6 months, he required assistance from a feeding tube. At the tender age of 2, his appetite started increasing unexpectedly and he gained weight in a short period of time.

"We were surprised to see his love for food. Young kids generally consume food at small intervals but he was asking for food again and again," said his mother.

Slowly, his cognitive abilities were delayed as he was unable to speak even a few words at this age. Khan's Body Mass Index (BMI) was 35.5 (95 per cent ) when he came to India to seek medical intervention.

In affected children above 3 years, symptoms such as obesity, intellectual delays, learning disabilities, or behaviour problems, especially connected with food and eating become apparent. Prader Willi Syndrome is caused by the loss of genes in a specific region of chromosome 15. Some of the other signs of the condition are — narrow forehead, small hands and feet, short height, light skin colour and inability to have children.

"To date, no medications have proven effective in regulating the appetite in Prader Willi Syndrome. Therefore, strict food and exercise supervision are the only ways to prevent life-threatening obesity. During infancy, patients should also undergo therapies to improve muscle strength and promote physical activity," said Dr Vaishakhi Rustagi, Consultant, Max Super Speciality Hospital, Shalimar Bagh.

The parents have been advised to encourage his active participation in outdoor activities to help him burn calories, as well as to keep him diverted from obsessive thoughts of eating.