Progeria

Progeria, also known as Hutchinson-Gilford progeria syndrome (HGPS), is a rare genetic condition that causes a child's body to age fast. Most kids with progeria do not live past the age of 13. The disease affects both sexes and all races equally. It affects about 1 in every 4 million births worldwide.

A single mistake in a certain gene causes it to make an abnormal protein. When cells use this protein, called progerin, they break down more easily. Progerin builds up in many cells of kids with progeria, causing them to grow old quickly.

Progeria is not inherited, or passed down in families.


Symptoms
Most kids with progeria look healthy when they're born, but they start to show signs of the disease during their first year. Babies with progeria do not grow or gain weight normally. They develop physical traits including:

A bigger head
Large eyes
A small lower jaw
A thin nose with a "beaked" tip
Ears that stick out
Veins you can see
Slow and abnormal tooth growth
A high-pitched voice
Loss of body fat and muscle
Hair loss, including eyelashes and eyebrows
As children with progeria get older, they get diseases you'd expect to see in people age 50 and older, including bone loss, hardening of the arteries, and heart disease. Children with progeria usually die of heart attacks or strokes.

Progeria doesn't affect a child's intelligence or brain development at all. A child with the condition isn't any more likely to get infections than other kids, either.