A 5-year-old girl weighs almost 45 pounds because of a rare condition that makes her want more and more food.
The 25-year-old mother of the child Holly Williams from the United Kingdom, decided to put a special door in the kitchen so that little Harlow cannot have easy access to food.
As the New York Post reports, Harlow suffers from Prader-Willi syndrome and is missing chromosome 15, which is responsible for controlling hunger. Therefore, the 5-year-old is constantly hungry and always wants to eat.
"The special door in the kitchen helps prevent Harlow from going into the cupboards looking for food," said her mother. He added: "In future I will have to take further measures and as Harlow gets older it is likely that I will have to get locks for the kitchen."
At just 6 months old, Harlow was diagnosed with the syndrome, which her mother had never heard of before.
"We knew something was wrong when he was born"
Prader-Willi syndrome is a rare genetic disorder and can manifest with physical, mental and behavioral problems. Many of the complications of the disease are due to obesity.
The syndrome delayed Harlow's ability to do many things. She initially couldn't hold her head up until she was 8 months old and didn't walk until she was 2 ½.
"We knew something was wrong when Harlow was born," her mother said. "She was very lethargic, had no strength, didn't cry and didn't bottle feed properly."
Now that Williams finally has some answers about what's going on with her child, she's taking steps to make sure he stays healthy. She says she has to be strict with the 5-year-old about how much she eats, but with some exceptions. "Harlow is overweight right now so I have to be strict with her and tell her she can't have extra food after she's had a meal," her mother said.
"I make sure she has a healthy and balanced diet, but she's still allowed treats because she's just a kid." Even though Harlow attends regular school, she still has motor problems, sleep apnea and tantrums.
The disorder is scaring parents as in 2016, Manoel Abreu said he was worried his 5-pound 80-year-old would die, while a Connecticut mom said her twins could "eat to death" inside in one day.
Source: In.gr