What is Williams Syndrome (Ws)?
Ws is a rare genetic condition which occurs in approximately 1 in 7,500 births. Despite increasing awareness most people we’ve met have not encountered many if any children with Ws before, and understandably know little about the characteristics and difficulties associated with the condition. Ws results from a sporadic deletion of the elastin gene and approximately 20 other genes on 1 copy of chromosome #7, this deletion causes a striking mix of physical and developmental characteristics. It affects males and females equally and occurs in all ethnic groups. What are the Characteristics of Ws? The severity of symptoms varies greatly among individuals with Ws, it can cause serious health concerns like heart and digestive problems and high blood pressure. Infants with Ws are often very irritable and may have hypercalcemia, an elevation in their blood calcium level. Low muscle tone is common and Ws affects a person’s motor skills. Things like handwriting, tying shoes and other fine motor a
