| MadSci Network: General Biology |
In general, people with progeria have such severe failure to thrive (poor growth from the time of childhood) that it prevents fertility. A pediatrics textbook stated "affected children do not become sexually mature and reproduce. Hence, parent-to-child transmission has not been observed." Unfortunately, the author of that textbook article missed a 1989 case description published by endocrinologists (doctors that specialize in hormones and the glands that make them) in Spain: they reported a 32-year-old woman with progeria who delivered a child at age 23. She must have been sexually mature to deliver the child, so the answer to your question is yes. However, keep in mind that sexual maturity is rare in these patients. Tim Nicholls, MD Berkeley, CA Corcoy R, Aris A, de Leiva A. Feritlity in a case of progeria. Am J Med Sci 1989; 297(6): 383-384. Brown WT. Chapter 716: Progeria. In Behrman, RE, et al, eds. Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics, 16th ed. W.B. Saunders, 2000. Philadelphia, PA. 2144-2145.
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