Health: If your child has difficulty running, consult a pediatrician; they may have this condition which costs 2 to 5 million CFA francs per year.



International Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy Day was celebrated on Thursday, September 3rd. This was an opportunity for the Taxawuma association, which provides assistance for rare diseases in Senegal, to raise awareness about this common genetic muscle disorder affecting children.

This condition is progressive and degenerative. "The first signs can appear before the age of 5: the child walks late (around 18 to 20 months) and falls very often for no reason, has difficulty getting up from the ground," warns Dr. Seydi Abdoul Bâ, pharmacist, genetics and predictive medicine consultant, in the columns of L'Observateur.

He thus sends a message to parents: "If your child has difficulty running or climbing stairs, talk to your pediatrician as soon as possible."

Dr. Bâ indicates that Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is an X-linked disease. This means that it almost exclusively affects boys and that it is the mothers (healthy carriers) who transmit the gene responsible. This is the DMD gene, which produces the dystrophy, a protein that protects the muscles. Without it, the muscle fibers break with every exertion and the muscle gradually deteriorates.

While difficult to pinpoint precisely, the cost of treating the disease is undeniably high. "We're talking about 2 to 5 million CFA francs per year," explains Dr. Seydi Abdoul Bâ. "You have to pay for tests, physiotherapy, medication, a wheelchair, trips to the hospital, and often a relative unfortunately has to stop working."