4 year old baby weighs 51 kg
Little Peter Leonard's body is four times bigger than his three-year-old brother and his weight has continued to increase by 7 kg in the past two months.
The boy also had a congenital penis defect, respiratory defects and a rare chromosomal disorder called 22q11.2 duplication.
Baby's mother, Miss Trinity,was the first to notice her son's unusual weight gain at age 2 and his insatiable hunger. She lostPeter's diet is very large, he mainly drinks water and skim milk. She also adds vegetables to his meals, gives him smoothies to provide fruits and vegetables. Trinity also hides all the food, Peter cannot eat by himself unless given food. The family often creates conditions for him to exercise, such as going swimming regularly...
"Despite changing my diet and exercise, my child still gained weight," she said.
At age 3, Peter weighed 23 kg and was taken to the doctor by his mother. Trinity had heard about Prader-Willi syndrome, a condition that causes constant hunger, and believed her son had it. Doctors refused to do the necessary tests to check, and could not explain why Peter had gained so much weight.
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Peter (far left) is four times bigger than his three-year-old brother (sitting in the middle). Photo:Daily Mail. |
Experts believe that Prader-Willi is a genetic disorder caused by a defect in chromosome 15. In infants, symptoms include poor feeding, weak muscles, and slow growth. As children grow older, they will feel constantly hungry, which can lead to obesity and type 2 diabetes. Other associated problems include learning difficulties, growth retardation, underdeveloped genitals, stubbornness, and anger.
The syndrome affects only 1 in 15,000 children in the UK. Children with this syndrome can eat six times more than children of the same age and still feel hungry. The syndrome was first mentioned in 1956, by Swiss doctors A Prader, A Labhart and H Willi. The son of famous British former model Katie Price also had this syndrome.
As there is no specific treatment, parents of young children with the disease are encouraged to feed their children a healthy diet and lifestyle. According to the UK National Health Service (NHS), the most dangerous problem for people with Prader-Willi is the constant desire to eat, which can easily lead to obesity, heart disease, cancer or stroke.
Peter is trying to eat healthily and stay active, but he still struggles to move because he is so big for his age. Trinity is still worried about his future. "I hope he stays positive," she said.
She advises those experiencing similar conditions to form a support group to help manage the condition.
