Williams Syndrome

Williams Syndrome Rare Genetic Condition, Williams Syndrome ,11-year-old Alex has Williams Syndrome: Williams Syndrome is a rare genetic condition, found in one in about 7500 newborns. These kids are hyper- social, with personalities you hardly see outside the world of this syndrome. They demonstrate extreme empathy and show warmth and openness even to strangers.

Children with Williams Syndrome tend to have slightly different facial characteristics from normal children. They have small pointed teeth, an upturned nose and slight puffiness under their eyes, but no matter what they look like their easy nature compels you to be friends with them.

Generally, after children reach 4 to 5 years of age, they display positive attitude towards people of their own race. However children suffering from Williams Syndrome show no racial bias what so ever, according to a latest research. While conducting the research, two pictures were shown to the sample comprising of normal childern as well as those who had Williams Syndrome. One picture was of a white man and the other showed an African American. When asked which one is the bad guy, kids with Williams Syndrome seemed to be indifferent. However when the same question was asked to normal children, they pointed to the picture that showed a person having different ethnicity then their own.
With such empathy comes lack of fear. These children are not aware of somebody’s ill intensions to harm them, neither are they scared of dangerous situations or objects. If they are given a spider, they’ll most likely pet it, rather than being scared. Such extreme innocence can have real life consequences, and for the same reason, such people are always in need of protection, since they are incapable of detecting danger or defending themselves on their own.

Studies show that the Syndrome is caused by the absence of around 25 genes on chromosome 7, and it can have extreme effect on physical, behavioral or cognitive composition of a person. This deletion of chromosomes takes place during the production of a sperm or egg cell. However, the reason as to why the absences of these genes result in hyper social behavior remains a mystery.