Prader-Willi Syndrome – nutritional management in children, adolescents and adults

Prader-Willi Syndrome is a genetic condition caused by an abnormality of chromosome 15, mostly resulting from a deletion.The prevalence of syndrome in Europe has been reported between 1 in 8,000 to 1 in 45,000 births. Characteristic features of the syndrome include hypotonia, short stature, psychomotor development delay, hypogonadism and progressive, life-threatening obesity. Treatment of Prader-Willi Syndrome consists of intensive rehabilitation, psychologicalcare, speech therapy and also, if patient is fulfilling appropriate criteria, growth hormone treatment. An extremely important element of therapy is also properly planned and implemented nutritional management. Adequate diet prevents the malnutrition in the first stage of life and the development of excessive weight in subsequent years. The aim of this article is to provide practical and accurate guidance on nutritional management and diet therapy for physicians and nutritionists who work with children, adolescents and adults with Prader-Willi Syndrome.