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Medical Author:

David Perlstein, MD, MBA, FAAP

David Perlstein, MD, MBA, FAAP

Dr. Perlstein received his Medical Degree from the University of Cincinnati and then completed his internship and residency in pediatrics at The New York Hospital, Cornell medical Center in New York City. After serving an additional year as Chief Pediatric Resident, he worked as a private practitioner and then was appointed Director of Ambulatory Pediatrics at St. Barnabas Hospital in the Bronx.

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Medical Editor:

Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, Chief Medical Editor

Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, Chief Medical Editor

Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, is a U.S. board-certified Anatomic Pathologist with subspecialty training in the fields of Experimental and Molecular Pathology. Dr. Stöppler's educational background includes a BA with Highest Distinction from the University of Virginia and an MD from the University of North Carolina. She completed residency training in Anatomic Pathology at Georgetown University followed by subspecialty fellowship training in molecular diagnostics and experimental pathology.

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Children with this disorder have variable symptoms, depending on the age of diagnosis (as with most childhood disorders).

• Young infants may present with non-specific findings, such as hypotonia (floppy baby) or hypertonia (rigid baby).
  
  
• Older infants may be delayed in their ability to sit, stand or walk.
  
  
• Toddlers may have difficulty feeding themselves.
  
  
• Older children may have a hard time learning to hold a pencil, and tend to knock over drinking glasses more often than expected.

As children with this disorder age, they often avoid physical activities, especially those requiring complex motor behaviors such as:

• dancing,
  
  
• gymnastics,
  
  
• swimming,
  
  
• catching or throwing a ball,
  
  
• writing, or
  
  
• drawing.

This is due to the individual's propensity to fall or trip more often than others and their inability to complete motor tasks adequately. These individuals may have more bruises or superficial skin injuries due to being "clumsy". They may often feel unable to judge spatial distances and have difficulty with shutting off faucets, turning off devices, and tend to have trouble putting together puzzles or toys.

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