Can prader-willi syndrome present with autism?

ABSTRACT

Prader-Willi syndrome [PWS] typically presents during the neonatal period as hypotonia with poor feeding and is confused with neonatal sepsis; however, these patients eventually develop special facial characteristics and gain weight dramatically. Some of these patients can have autistic behaviors that manifest as loss of social interest, poor communication as well as repetitive movements. We present a case of a five-year-old female who developed hypotonia and poor reflexes soon after birth and was noticed to have Intrauterine Growth Restriction [IUGR]. Two months later, she was noticed to have dysmorphic features with delayed developmental milestones. At 30 months, she was diagnosed with obesity and obstructive sleep apnea. At three years, she was diagnosed which raised the suspicion of autism.with PWS and at five years of age, she developed autistic behaviors