Paula's Place - Fragile X, Fascianos and More!!: Monday, April 27, 2009

Happy 12th Birthday Matthew Blaise Fasciano! We love you very much and we hope that you had a great birthday party yesterday! Love, Mommy, Daddy and Benjamin!

What You Should Know About Fragile X

- Fragile X Syndrome is the most common cause of inherited cognitive impairment

- Only 1 parent has to be a carrier to pass on FX to their child

- 1 in 250 women are carriers; 1 in 800 men are carriers

- Persons with FX may have problems ranging from mild learning disabilities to severe cognitive impairment

- Males and females both can have FX, although often females with FX are much more mildly affected

- Many with FX have autistic-like tendencies; (some people with FX may jump or hand-flap or become sensory overloaded quite easily, but their symptoms are not contagious!)

- Delayed speech is often the first symptom which may trigger a parent to seek a professional opinion regarding their child

- Most FX carriers do not know they are carriers until they have a child diagnosed with FX; Carriers are subject to a 50% chance with each pregnancy to pass the gene to their child.

- FX can be diagnosed with a simple blood test