New Delhi: At this COVID pandemic time, people in India are getting to know about a slew of new diseases and health issues. One such rare disorder that needs urgent attention among all, especially in the public domain, is the Fragile X syndrome (FXS). For people who are hearing about it for the first time, it is a rare inherited condition that causes intellectual disability and autism in children.
In the recent past, actor Boman Irani had explained in an awareness post on Instagram about Fragile X syndrome and said why parents should be more aware of the FXS. “Nearly four lakh children in India alone are affected by this syndrome,” he had said in the post and had urged his followers to start a conversation about this disorder.
What is Fragile X syndrome? Speaking in plain language, Fragile X syndrome is a genetic disorder. FXS is caused by changes in a gene that scientists called the fragile X mental retardation 1 (FMR1) gene.
This particular disorder and finding of Fragile X syndrome has an X-linked recessive inheritance which is typically caused by an expansion of the CGG triplet repeat within the FMR1.
Speaking to News18, Shalini Kedia, founder of Fragile X Society India, said that one in five thousand individuals worldwide are affected by Fragile X Syndrome. She also added that the FXS affects children and can lead to delayed speech, delayed development, Sensory processing disorders, problems in motor skills and hyperactivity.
She also added that this particular disorder is most commonly inherited, and a single gene is the cause for this intellectual disability and autism.
Expressing concern about its awareness drive in India, she said that despite the widespread nature of the syndrome in the country, awareness about this disorder is extremely low.