Allegra C.

 Allegra C. (Italy)

 Allegra is born on 6 February 1998 by spontaneous birth at the 40th gestation week,

with the following parameters:

  • Weight kg. 3.400
  • Lenght m. 0.49
  • Cranial Circumference m 0.34
  • Apgar’s score 8/9.

Her parents are in good health, and the brother 3 years older too.

 

 

The tests did during the gestation as pulse-echo diagnosis, amniocentesis test, virus tests and the growth parameters of the baby are up to standard.

Only at the 39th gestation week the pulse-echo diagnosis reveals an anomaly in the magna cistern however this anomaly comes back after the birth.

Up to 3 months after the birth the growth is regular, later an echo-doppler at the brain seems to reveals a prenatal infection which is excluded by new clinical tests.

Since Allegra is 4 months old the growth begins to retard, overall the cranial circumference.

The psychomotor functionalities are no more corresponding to her age.

She eats too little, cries tightening up arms and legs, the hands are often closed.

Her look doesn’t follows the people and the objects, moreover her look is characterized by nystagmus.

After two hospitalizations the NMR reveals:

  • Atrophy of the brain
  • Little calcifications of the basal ganglia of the brain
  • Elevated levels of white blood cells in the spinal fluid confirmed by alpha and beta interpheron tests.

At this point we suspect a genetic desease which is diagnosed later as Aicardi-Goutieres Syndrome.

Consequently, we decide to register our child for a physiotherapy and music course indeed this is the only way to do.

Now Allegra is 2 years old, she smiles, laughs, and holds up a little the head.

The hypertonicity of the arms and the legs is still strong and she is in difficulty to sit down without support.

The improvements are very slow but we trust that in a near future our dreams can become reality.