My interest in researching and writing about Klinefelter's syndrome came from an issue that my thirteen year old son who autism has complained about. The past two years my son has been bothered by the appearance of male breast. He constantly asks “Daddy, how can I lose these?” His doctors have down played the likely hood that he has Klinefelter's syndrome and stressed that diet and exercise should reduce the appearance of male breast. After careful research, I have found that reduction in male breast tissue is highly unlikely once it has formed. I recently spoke again with his doctor about my research findings. We have decided to get him tested this week.
Klinefelter's syndrome is a chromosomal disorder found among males that is caused by an extra X sex chromosome. Typically, this results in infertility and mild developmental delay. Males with an extra chromosome such as XXY males are usually associated with under developed sex characteristics/traits which includes enlarged male breast.
How many people are affected by Klinefelter's Syndrome?
- According to Rathus (2006), “1 male in 500-900” are affected by this disease
Treatments:
- Estrogen replacement therapy: Estrogen replacement therapy can improve growth of sex chromosomes but has not proven to reverse infertility
- Due to language impairments and mild mental retardation, special education and speech therapy helps to improve the quality of lives for children that have Klinefelter's Syndrome
- Surgical procedures have been performed, but it has been noted that some patient develop emotional difficulties afterwards
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