Parker, Waichman, Alonso LLP

Home » Topics » Diseases » Pierre Robin Syndrome

Pierre Robin Syndrome

Pierre Robin Syndrome is a birth defect in which a child has a much smaller lower jaw (micrognathia). Additionally, their tongues tend to fall further back and downward (glossoptosis) and there palates are cleft and soft. To date the exact cause of Pierre Robin Syndrome has not been found.

Pierre Robin Syndrome causes the lower jaw to slowly grow over the first few months of life prior to birth. Development of the jaw eventually speeds up throughout the first year after birth. The falling back of the tongue can trigger choking episodes and breathing and feeding problems, particularly when a child is asleep. The degree of severity in Pierre Robin Syndrome differs from child to child. Pierre Robin Syndrome is also known as Pierre Robin Sequence and Pierre Robin Complex.

Recent studies have discovered that mothers, who were pregnant and worked on farms where pesticides were often sprayed, frequently gave birth to children who were diagnosed with Pierre Robin Syndrome.

Symptoms of Pierre Robin Syndrome

• Very small jaw with marked receding chin
• Large-appearing tongue in relation to jaw
• Jaw placed unusually far back in the throat
• High-arched palate
• Cleft soft palate
• Small opening in the roof of the mouth, which causes choking
• Natal teeth (teeth appearing when the baby is born)

Legal Rights for Victims of Pierre Robin Syndrome
If you or a loved one gave birth to a child who was diagnosed with Pierre Robin syndrome, contact Parker & Waichman, LLP for a free and case evaluation. Call 1-800-LAW-INFO (1-800-529-4636) or fill out the short form to the right.