Baby Born With A Rare Brain Disorder, Can’t Cry Or Feed On The Bottle

A five-week-old baby boy in Sydney will never be able to cry or suck on the bottle, says the Daily Telegraph UK. Tate, who was born at 35 weeks, weighed only 1.7 kg and reportedly didn’t cry at birth. Tate’s brain is said to be smooth like an egg, no symptoms of senses going in or out his bod, and he is unable to perform any activities of a five-week-old infant.

Tate was then diagnosed to have Miller-Dieker syndrome, a condition characterised by pattern of abnormal brain development known as lissencephaly. The cerebral cortex of a person’s brain, which is usually multi-layered with folds and grooves, would be abnormally smooth with fewer grooves and folds in the case of lissencephaly. Seizures, severe intellectual disability, delay in development, abnormal stiffness in muscles, weak muscle tone and feeding difficulties are the outcomes of the Miller-Dieker lissencephaly syndrome.

Tate’s parents, Yasmin and Michael Burley, who were so worried over their child’s condition, contacted many families in the US but could only find that no child with Miller-Dieker lissencephaly syndrome survived past five years. Ms Burley, who was very emotional, said that she is unsure on what is going to happen to their son Tate. She also added that he has no muscle tone, and he won’t be having life past childhood.

Ms Burley also said that they want their son to cry, and they wish they have the sleepless nights that all parentsgo through with a newborn. She added that it was heartbreaking when Zane, 13 and Kye, 7, the older siblings of Tate, asked their parents if their brother would die and why the God hasn’t taken good care of their brother. The Burley family are presently raising money for the Brain and Mind Research Institute (BMRI) to support other families that would suffer with such brain disorders in the future.

To report problems or to leave feedback about this article, e-mail: saranya@ibtimes.com.au