>> 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.
