Management of Prader-Willi Syndrome brings together the contributions of professionals with considerable expertise in diagnosis and management of PWS. Clinical, social, family, and community issues are explored and management strategies identified. The text presents historical, medical, and genetic information to orient the reader. The major portion deals with pragmatic guidelines, rather than research and diagnosis, and is directed to health and educational specialists in academic, clinical, and community settings. This manual is endorsed by The Prader-Willi Syndrome Association, which is recognized world-wide.

On March 28, 1971, Fausta Deterling gave birth to a boy. Curtis was floppy and had little appetite. When he was five months old, a doctor told his parents that Curtis had something called Prader-Willi syndrome. He told them Curtis would develop a huge appetite as a toddler, would become quite obese, would not be 100 percent mentally, and would not live past his twenties. There was no cure or treatment, the doctor said. Fausta and her husband, Gene, did not accept this. They banded with other parents, and with a handful of professionals, to try to make better lives for their children.The small number of professionals interested in Prader-Willi syndrome made some gains, although the syndrome remained obscure. But in the 1980s Prader-Willi syndrome became the focus of a worldwide genetic mystery. And the resolution of that mystery would change the textbooks.

Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) is associated with an assortment of physical, behavioural and cognitive abnormalities which create a broad range of care needs. Information about the syndrome is spread across a variety of disciplines. In this book the authors seek to identify and provide the latest findings about how best to manage the complex medical, nutritional, psychological, educational, social and therapeutic needs of people with PWS. Their approach is an integrated one, centred on the PWS phenotype. Both authors have been involved in the Cambridge PWS study, which is the largest and most rounded of the cohort studies of PWS anywhere in the world. The unique data it provides is the basis of this book.

Management of Prader-Willi Syndrome is the first book to provide a comprehensive source of knowledge about Prader-Willi Syndrome and to offer common-sense guidelines for management. It consists of contributions from professionals in many health and allied disciplines who have worked with this special population. The book focuses on clinical, social, familial, and community issues related to care. It is directed to health, education, and other specialists in academic, clinical, and community settings. Management of Prader-Willi Syndrome describes strategies for management which are appropriate to an interdisciplinary approach.

Obesity is one of the most important contributing factors to disease throughout the world and is an area of great current interest among researchers and clinicians. The genetics of common obesity is complex, and an important thread through this labyrinth is the study of genetic syndromes in which obesity is a major component. By examining the genetic mechanisms of obesity in these syndromes, the authors will shed new light on the genetics of common obesity. This is the first book on this important and exciting new area and addreses both the molecular and clinical features of the obesity syndromes, providing hard-core information for researchers and practical guidelines for clinicians caring for obese patients. The book is divided into three sections: the first covers approaches for assessing and investigating the obese individual; the second describes nondysmorphic, monogenic forms of obesity; and the third documents key, multisystem obesity syndromes with various genetic etiologies. It is as much a reference book as it is a manual and will appeal to clinical geneticists, obesity researchers, endocrinologists, nutritionists, and medical biologists.

Annotation Over the past years, research into the Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) and its treatment options has progressed enormously and new insights have greatly improved the quality of life of those affected. For many years, Urs Eiholzer has been engaged in the care of children with PWS and their families. He has published a great number of seminal scientific articles and contributions and supports a comprehensive, integrated treatment approach, taking into account both the biological and the psychological aspects of the syndrome. This easily understandable book is specifically suited for non-professionals and presents the clinical picture of the syndrome, its genetic cause, state-of-the-art research results and treatment options as used in the author's out-patient clinic. The text is illustrated with graphics and complemented by an abundance of pictures. This publication addresses not only the family members of the affected children, but also those who have contact with them - from the neighbor to the pediatrician.

An examination of the cognitive, medical and psychological aspects of educating a child with Prader-Willi Syndrome. Practical advice is given for every part of the schooling process, from classroom management to helping the child with difficult lessons such as maths. The section on further education discusses the ethical issues concerned with learning skills for independent living and the potential for future employment.