Association of autism spectrum disorder with Waardenburg syndrome in a toddler

Abstract

Waardenburg syndrome is a rare genetic condition with an incidence of 1 in 212 000. The condition is classically associated with distinctive facial features, congenital hearing loss and pigmentary changes of the hair, iris and skin. There is a paucity of literature about the association of neurodevelopmental conditions with this syndrome. We present a toddler with Waardenburg syndrome type 1 who was referred to our service for developmental delay concerns. The child was diagnosed with the condition at birth, had distinctive facial features, but the hearing was normal. The child’s father also shares a similar mutation. Following a multidisciplinary assessment, the child was diagnosed to have autism spectrum disorder with possible regression. We acknowledge that there may not be a causal relationship between autism spectrum and Waardenburg syndrome. However, this highlights the need for developmental surveillance among children diagnosed with Waardenburg syndrome and to consider its association with neurodevelopmental conditions.