> I was pawing through the various syndrome descriptions linked to at the
> bottom of
>
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chromosome_abnormalities
>
> reminding myself of the various developmental disasters that can occur
> during pregnancy that our new American Republican Vice-Presidential
> candidate believes we should legislate be carried to term (depending on
> which story you believe, she herself either knowingly carried or forced
> her unmarried teenage daughter to carry a Down's Syndrome pregnancy to
> term), and was struck by something more than reinforcement of my firm
> conviction of the criminal irresponsibility of such policy.
>
> I was struck in particular by two descriptions:
>
> "Williams syndrome (WS; also Williams-Beuren syndrome or WBS) is a rare
> neurodevelopmental disorder caused by a deletion of about 26 genes from
> the long arm of chromosome 7. It is characterized by a distinctive,
> 'elfin' facial appearance, along with a low nasal bridge; an unusually
> cheerful demeanor and ease with strangers, coupled with unpredictably
> occurring negative outbursts; a predisposition to violent outbursts;
> mental retardation coupled with unusual (for persons who are diagnosed as
> mentally retarded) language skills; a love for music . . . .
>
> "Individuals with Williams syndrome are highly verbal and sociable, but
> lack common sense and typically have low intelligence. The condition has
> been contrasted with autism, who lack social interests. Individuals with
> WS hyperfocus on the eyes of others in social engagements. There also
> appears to be a higher prevalence of left-handedness and left-eye
> dominance in those with Williams, and cases of absolute pitch appear to
> be significantly higher amongst those with the condition. People with
> Williams syndrome often have hyperacusis and phonophobia which resembles
> noise-induced hearing loss, but this may be due to a malfunctioning
> auditory nerve. Individuals with Williams syndrome also report
> higher levels of fears, which may be associated with hyperacusis."
>
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Williams_syndrome
>
> and by
>
> "Angelman syndrome (AS) is a neuro-genetic disorder characterized by
> intellectual and developmental delay, sleep disturbance, seizures, jerky
> movements especially hand-flapping, frequent laughter or smiling, and
> usually a happy demeanour. AS is a classic example of genetic imprinting
> in that it is usually caused by deletion or inactivation of genes on the
> maternally inherited chromosome 15 . . . .
>
> "AS is named after a British pediatrician, Dr. Harry Angelman, who first
> described the syndrome in 1965. An older, alternative term for AS, happy
> puppet syndrome, is generally considered pejorative and stigmatizing so it
> is no longer used, though it remains useful as a diagnostic heuristic.
>
> "People with AS are sometimes known as 'Angels', both because of the
> syndrome's name and because of their youthful, happy appearance . . . .
>
> "Absent or little speech (not in all cases - some children have a
> vocabulary of up to 50 words)
>
> "Receptive and non-verbal communication skills higher than verbal ones
>
> "Poor attention span and hyperactivity
>
> "Severe learning disabilities
>
> "Epilepsy (80%%) and an abnormal EEG
>
> "Unusual movements (fine tremors, hand flapping, jerking movements)
>
> "Affectionate nature and frequent inappropriate laughter
>
> "Wide-based stiff-legged gait, with tendency to hold arms up and flexed
> while walking.

>
> "Below average head size, often with flattening at the back
>
> "Subtle, but sometimes characteristic facial features (wide mouth, widely
> spaced teeth, prominent chin, tendency to tongue thrust)
>
> "Poor sleeping pattern
>
> "Strabismus (Squint - crossed eye/s) in 40%%
>
> "Scoliosis (abnormal curvature of the spine) in 10%%
>
> "Increased sensitivity to heat
>
> "Attraction to/fascination with water"
>
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angelman_syndrome
>
> Given a pre-scientific interpretation of such developmental disasters, I
> conclude that we probably have here (and in some other syndromes) the
> classic "changelings" of folklore.
>
> --
> tinmimus99@hotmail.com
>
> smeeter 11 or maybe 12
>
> mp 10
>
> The best piece of logic I ever heard, Mr Larynx; the very best,
> I assure you.
>
> < _Nightmare Abbey_
>