SPECIFIC EATING AND SLEEPING PROBLEMS IN PRADER-WILLI AND WILLIAMS-BEUREN SYNDROME

Eating and sleeping problems have a high prevalence in mental retardat ion in general, but are also discussed as characteristic in some genet ically determined disorders. A comparative analysis of eating and slee ping behaviours in 28 Prader-Willi- and 32 Williams-Beuren syndrome ch ildren by psychometric instruments confirms excessive food-seeking beh aviours in PWS and selective food refusal in WBS as specific problems. In both syndromes, however, there is considerable individual variabil ity in these symptoms.