Duchenne Muscluar Dystrophy (DMD) is the most common genetic disorder in children worldwide.
Duchenne muscular dystrophy occurs in approximately 1 out of every 3,600 male infants. Children with DMD cannot produce dystrophin, a protein necessary for muscle function. As a result, all muscle deteriorates in these children until they are confined to a wheelchair and since there is no cure, the disease eventually kills these children through the loss of important cardiac and respiratory muscles.
The facts about DMD are devastating:
- DMD has a 100% fatality rate.
- Most DMD kids die in their late teens or early twenties.
- Most boys with DMD are in a wheelchair, most between 10-12 years old.
- DMD is associated with respiratory failure, heart failure, and debilitating orthopedic complications.
The facts about its far-reaching impact are just as devastating:
- An estimated 15,000-20,000 children in America are afflicted
- DMD affects boys of every ethnicity and geographic location.
- One third of all DMD cases are the result of random in utero mutation, with no warning before the affected baby is born.
There is no curative treatment at this time. This is the reality of DMD.
For more information, visit the Muscular Dystrophy Association or Parent Project Muscular Dystrophy websites.
