Cockayne Syndrome

Cockayne syndrome is an extremely rare condition that affects about 1 out of every 100,000 births. Children that suffer from this disorder are short, hunch backed and will generally be labeled as "failure to thrive" because they do not grow properly.

Patients usually have an appearance of premature aging and have small heads, a beaked nose, eye defects, tooth decay, hearing loss, and abnormal development of the nervous system and are usually extremely sensitive to sunlight. It is also common to experience tremors, complications when walking and varying degrees of mental retardation.

Although there is no cure for Cocakyne syndrome, treatment includes therapy, specialized medical care and sunlight protection.