How Common Is Moebius Syndrome?

Moebius Syndrome is an extremely rare congenital genetic defect that causes facial paralysis and the inability to move one's eyes from side to side. Born with complete facial paralysis, sufferers of Moebius Syndrome are unable to close their eyes or to form expressions, and commonly suffer from chest and limb abnormalities. It was first described and named by Paul Julius Moebius, a German neurologist who encountered the syndrome in 1888.

Effects of Moebius Syndrome

• Moebius Syndrome is a direct result of underdevelopment of the sixth and seventh cranial nerves, which control lateral eye movement and facial expression. Occasionally, the fifth and eighth nerves are affected, leading to hearing loss. Moebius Syndrome has also been linked to increased incidence of autism in children, although the majority of sufferers have normal or even high intelligence and can lead successful professional lives.

Causes

• There is no one cause of Moebius Syndrome; it is not a disease or a specific condition. Rather, it is a term used to describe infantile nerve underdevelopment. Moebius Syndrome is estimated to naturally occur only once or twice every one million births. The prevailing theory as to the natural cause of Moebius Syndrome is that a temporary interruption of blood flow to certain areas of the brain leads to disruption of nerve growth. It is unknown how or why this happens, but genetic links have been substantiated in some families. However, the most common cause of Moebius Syndrome is use of the drugs Misoprostol or Thalidomide while pregnant. The use of cocaine, which has vascular effects on the fetus, has also been implicated.

Rarity

• Moebius Syndrome is an exceptionally rare disorder. However, certain parts of the world tend to be more prone to it. Brazil, in particular, has the highest incidence of Moebius Syndrome per births in the world. This has been linked to the popularity of Misoprostol as a "household" abortion agent. Despite its general ineffectiveness (80 percent of medically unsupervised Misoprostol abortions carry to term), it remains a popular abortion drug because of the relatively tolerable side effects. Unfortunately, Moebius Syndrome occurs in roughly 20 percent of failed Misoprostol abortions.

Prevention/Solution

• There is no way to avoid Moebius Syndrome, save to not expose your fetus to the primary risk factors. Pregnant females must take care not to expose the fetus to any kind of trauma, such as car crashes, roller coasters or general extreme physical activity. Women should also avoid any kind of illegal drugs, especial cocaine or methamphetamines. In particular, medically unsupervised use of Misoprostol or Thalidomide will exponentially increase the risk of the child developing Moebius Syndrome, and should be avoided in all cases.

Misconceptions

• Unfortunately for sufferers of Moebius Syndrome, they are commonly perceived as being unintelligent or even functionally disabled due to their lack of facial expressions. Given the proper treatment, sufferers of Moebius Syndrome generally lead normal, professional lives, albeit with the necessary precautions. Friends and family of Moebius sufferers generally report that they sometimes forget that the sufferer has a disability at all, although facial expression is a large part of face-to-face communication. Unfortunately, many sufferers of the syndrome are diagnosed as being mentally retarded or severely autistic, due to the similar physical appearance.