Mowat-Wilson Syndrome

Mowat-Wilson syndrome (MWS) is a rare genetic disorder that affects many systems of the body. Some of the main features include intellectual disability, distinctive facial features, delayed development, and Hirschsprung disease. Other features may include microcephaly, structural brain abnormalities, epilepsy, short stature, and defects of the heart, urinary tract, or genitalia. MWS is caused by a mutation in the ZEB2 gene. It typically occurs for the first time in a person with MWS and is not inherited from a parent. Vary rarely, more than one child in a family will have MWS. Treatment depends on the symptoms present and focuses on the specific needs of each person.