How Huntington's Disease in Children Can Be Passed From Parents on an HTT Gene with a Mutation

Huntington's Disease HD Juvenile Huntington's Disease genetic condition rare genetic condition

By Camille Hutchison , Parent Herald Oct 10, 10:53 am

Huntington's disease (HD) is a condition that stops parts of the brain that are properly working over time. This form of the disease can be passed on or inherited from parents and, unfortunately, gets worse over time and appears fatal after up to 20 years.

This rare disease causes the progressive breakdown or degeneration of nerve cells in the brain. It also greatly impacts a person's functional ability and commonly results in movement, thinking or cognitive, and psychiatric disorders. It can mainly be caused by a mutation in the gene for a protein, namely huntingtin. This defect causes the cytosine, adenine, and guanine (CAG), or the building blocks of Deoxyribonucleic Acid or DNA, to repeat more times than normal.

Each parent of a child with HD has a 50-50 chance of inheriting the HD gene. Almost everyone can develop HD, specifically those whose parents have HD. Sadly, the prevalence of pain interference increases up to 42 percent in the middle stage of the disease.

Symptoms of Huntington's Disease

The symptoms of the disease commonly start at 30 to 50 years of age but can also begin much earlier or later. Usually, symptoms appear in middle age, while Juvenile Huntington's disease (JHD) starts in childhood. Furthermore, it may include seizures and stiffness. Usually, kids with JHD inherit it from their fathers.

Kids with HD experience symptoms before age 20; when it develops, the symptoms appear to be somehow different and may progress faster. It is caused by a faulty gene that happens to be an outcome of the brain becoming gradually damaged over time. Both men and women can get it, regardless of age.

Kids with HD parents may have a 50 percent chance of developing the condition, a strong possibility of passing the gene to their future children, and a 50 percent chance of children never developing it. If this happens, the unaffected kid would be unable to pass the condition on to any kids they have. However, HD is impossible to develop without having a history of it in the family.

Common symptoms of HD include involuntary writing movements, unusual eye movements, and difficulty with speech, per Mayo Clinic.

HD appears to be fatal and does not have a cure

HD is genetic, which only means that this type of disorder is inherited from parents; thus, it has no cure as it appears deadly. People are born with the said defective gene that mainly causes the disease. The disease takes approximately 15 years to kill.

Those with HD are at 50:50 risk as they have the disease and can no longer escape the uncertainty until the symptoms start. According to a report, Late Onset Huntington Disease: Clinical and Genetic Characteristics of 34 Cases, the common range of disease duration was between 2 and 17 years, while the oldest living age is 91.

The National Health Service suggests seeing a healthcare provider if sudden changes in movements, emotional state, and mental ability have been noticed, particularly the symptoms of the disease. It's important to get a prompt and thorough diagnosis.