What is World Duchenne Awareness Day?
Every year on September 7th, World Duchenne Awareness Day honors infant boys who live with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD). It's also a day to raise concerns of this genetic disorder.
1 in every 5,000 boys are born with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD). Progressive muscle degeneration and weakness are typical of this genetic disorder. Muscle degeneration is caused by a combination of a protein called dystrophin. Dystrophin is the protein that helps muscle cells maintain their shape. This protein is also lacking in the brain for those who have DMD. Children with DMD often have learning difficulties and behavioral problems as a result of their autism.
Girls can also be carriers of this disease, but only infrequently affected girls are expected to be. Boys are more likely to suffer from the disease. DMD also affects boys more severely.
DMD has several common signs such as:
