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Definition
By Mayo Clinic staffProgeria (pro-JEER-e-uh) is a progressive genetic disorder that causes children to age rapidly, beginning in their first two years of life.
Children with progeria, also known as Hutchinson-Gilford progeria syndrome (HGPS), generally appear normal at birth. By 12 months, signs and symptoms, such as slow growth and hair loss, begin to appear. The average life expectancy for a child with progeria is about 13, but some with the disease die younger and some live 20 years or longer.
Heart problems or strokes are the eventual cause of death in most children with progeria. There's no cure for this condition, but ongoing research shows some promise for treatment.
- Learning about progeria. National Genome Research Institute. http://www.genome.gov/pfv.cfm?pageID=11007255. Accessed March 4, 2011.
- Progeria (Hutchinson-Gilford syndrome). The Merck Manuals: The Merck Manual for Healthcare Professionals. http://www.merck.com/mmpe/sec19/ch286/ch286d.html. Accessed March 4, 2011.
- Brown TW. Hutchinson-Gilford progeria syndrome. In: Pagon RA, et al., eds. GeneReviews. Seattle, Wash.: University of Washington; 1993. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/bookshelf/br.fcgi?book=gene&part=hgps. Accessed March 4, 2011.
- Meredith MA, et al. Phenotype and course of Hutchinson-Gilford progeria syndrome. New England Journal of Medicine. 2008;358:592.
- Kieran MW, et al. New approaches to progeria. Pediatrics. 2007;120:834.
- Martini R. Helping children cope with chronic illness. American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. http://www.aacap.org/cs/root/developmentor/helping_children_cope_with_chronic_illness. Accessed March 4, 2011.
- Hoecker JL (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. March 6, 2011.
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