Cri-du-chat syndrome is a rare genetic condition that is usually recognized at birth or in early infancy. Early signs of Cri-du-chat syndrome can include a high-pitched cry, low muscle tone, feeding trouble, and delayed development. Many living with Cri-du-chat syndrome also have learning difficulties, and some have heart or breathing problems. Not everyone will have the same experience. There is no cure, so treatment focuses on supportive care such as feeding support, physical therapy, speech therapy, special education, and treatment for related medical problems, and life expectancy can be near normal in milder cases but depends on the severity of complications.
How many people live with Cri-du-chat syndrome?
Global and U.S. living-population estimates are not consistently reported by a single authoritative source. Based on the widely cited rate of about 1 in 15,000 to 1 in 50,000 newborns, rough estimates suggest roughly 160,000 to 550,000 people worldwide (Orphanet, 2024; United Nations, 2024) and roughly 6,700 to 22,000 people in the United States (Orphanet, 2024; U.S. Census Bureau, 2024).
Overview
Cri-du-chat syndromeSymptoms
Cri-du-chat syndrome often causes a high-pitched cry in infancy, developmental delay, and low muscle tone. Many children also have feeding problems, small head size, and learning difficulties. Features vary, but early signs of Cri-du-chat syndrome are often noticed at birth.
Outlook and prognosis
Outlook in Cri-du-chat syndrome varies, but many people make steady progress with early therapy, supportive care, and treatment for heart, feeding, or hearing problems. Most need lifelong support, while life span can be near typical in milder cases.
Causes and risk factors
Cri-du-chat syndrome happens when a piece of chromosome 5 is missing. Most cases are new genetic changes that occur by chance; some are inherited from a parent with a balanced chromosome rearrangement. Lifestyle or environmental factors are not known causes.
Genetic influences
Genetics are central to Cri-du-chat syndrome. It is usually caused by a missing piece of chromosome 5, and the size and location of that missing segment can help explain why symptoms and support needs vary from person to person.
Diagnosis
Doctors usually suspect Cri-du-chat syndrome from clinical features and a baby's history. The diagnosis of Cri-du-chat syndrome is confirmed with genetic tests that look for a missing piece of chromosome 5. Imaging or other exams may help check for related health concerns.
Treatment and drugs
Treatment for Cri-du-chat syndrome focuses on each child’s needs, often combining early physical, speech, and occupational therapy with feeding support and learning services. Medicines are used for specific problems, such as seizures, reflux, or sleep issues.
Symptoms
Early in life, Cri-du-chat syndrome often affects feeding, crying, muscle tone, and growth, and later it can affect movement, speech, and learning. The early features of Cri-du-chat syndrome can be subtle in some babies and more obvious in others. For many people with Cri-du-chat syndrome, the biggest day-to-day effects involve communication, development, and the extra support needed at home and school. Not every child has every feature, and the pattern can vary quite a bit.
In newborns and young infants, the cry may sound unusually high-pitched and sharp. This feature is often most noticeable early on and may become less obvious with age.
Weak sucking, reflux, or trouble coordinating swallowing can make feeding slow and tiring in infancy. Some babies need extra feeding support to help with weight gain and avoid dehydration.
Many babies feel floppy or less strong when held, which can affect head control and later motor skills. This can make sitting, crawling, and walking take longer to develop.
Some children are small at birth or grow more slowly than expected, and many have a smaller head size. In daily life, this can mean closer tracking of growth, nutrition, and overall development.
How people usually first notice Cri-du-chat syndrome?
Cri-du-chat syndrome is often first noticed in a newborn because of a high-pitched, cat-like cry, along with low muscle tone, trouble feeding, and a smaller-than-expected head size. For many families and doctors, the first signs of Cri-du-chat syndrome also include slow growth and early developmental delays, and some babies have distinctive facial features that become clearer over time. In some pregnancies, how Cri-du-chat syndrome is first noticed may be through prenatal testing or ultrasound findings, but many people with the condition are recognized after birth during routine newborn and early childhood checkups.
Types of Cri-du-chat syndrome
No distinct types of Cri-du-chat syndrome are widely recognized.
Can I slow down the onset of symptoms?
No. Because Cri-du-chat syndrome is a genetic condition that is present from birth, there is no good evidence that lifestyle changes, medicines, or supplements can delay when symptoms start or prevent the condition. What can help is early medical follow-up and early support, such as physical, speech, feeding, and learning therapies, which may improve day-to-day skills and development even though they do not delay the condition itself; starting support early can make a meaningful difference, but progress varies from child to child.
What genetics can tell you about symptoms
Genetics can give some clues about symptoms in cri-du-chat syndrome, but it usually cannot predict everything for one child. In general, a larger missing piece of chromosome 5 tends to be linked with more wide-ranging developmental and physical challenges, while the exact location of the missing segment can influence features such as the high-pitched cry in infancy, low muscle tone, feeding problems, delays in speech and learning, and sometimes heart or other organ differences. Even so, symptoms can vary a lot from one person to another, so genetic results are more helpful for estimating patterns and support needs than for forecasting an exact day-to-day course.
Causes and risk factors
For families asking about the cause of Cri-du-chat syndrome, the main reason is a missing piece of chromosome 5. This genetic change usually happens by chance when the egg or sperm forms, so nothing a parent did caused it. In some families, the risk of having a child with Cri-du-chat syndrome is higher because a parent carries a balanced chromosome change and feels healthy themselves. There are no proven lifestyle or environmental causes, but these factors can still affect how a child grows, learns, and stays healthy over time. Genetic testing can sometimes clarify your personal risk.
What are the most common causes or risk factors?
Cri-du-chat syndrome is caused by a missing piece of chromosome 5, which is part of the body's genetic material. Most cases happen by chance when the egg or sperm is made, or very early after pregnancy begins, so it is usually not caused by anything the parents did. Less often, the risk is higher because a parent carries a rearrangement in their chromosomes that does not affect their own health but can be passed on in a way that causes the syndrome, and there are no known lifestyle or environmental risk factors.
Environmental and biological risk factors
For Cri-du-chat syndrome, there are no well-established environmental or non-genetic biological risk factors that doctors can use to predict who will have an affected pregnancy. Most cases appear to happen sporadically, and researchers are still exploring how outside influences interact with our inner biology. This means common day-to-day exposures, stress, or routine illnesses during pregnancy have not been shown to clearly cause Cri-du-chat syndrome.
At this time, no specific environmental exposure or body-based health factor has been proven to reliably increase the chance of Cri-du-chat syndrome. For many families, this can mean there was nothing obvious they did or could have avoided.
Things like routine infections, normal stress, or typical activities during pregnancy have not been clearly linked to Cri-du-chat syndrome. If a concerning exposure occurred, your doctor can still review it in context, but most cases are not explained by a known outside trigger.
Unlike some birth conditions, clear links with factors such as maternal age, paternal age, diabetes, or high blood pressure have not been firmly established for Cri-du-chat syndrome. In most cases, standard pregnancy health factors do not explain why it happened.
Genetic risk factors
Most cases of Cri-du-chat syndrome happen because a small piece of chromosome 5 is missing very early in development. The genetic causes of Cri-du-chat syndrome are usually not something a parent caused. Some risk factors are inherited through our genes. A smaller number of families have a higher chance of another affected child when one parent carries a hidden chromosome rearrangement.
5p deletion: Cri-du-chat syndrome is caused by a missing piece of the short arm of chromosome 5, often called a 5p deletion. Which genes are missing, and how much is missing, can affect how severe the features are.
New genetic change: In most children, the missing chromosome piece happens as a new genetic change, meaning it was not inherited from either parent. This usually means the chance of it happening again in another pregnancy is low, though not zero.
Balanced translocation: Sometimes Cri-du-chat syndrome is inherited because a parent carries a balanced translocation, where chromosome pieces have switched places but the parent remains healthy. In that situation, the chance of another child having Cri-du-chat syndrome can be much higher, so family chromosome testing may be offered.
Rare chromosome forms: A small number of cases happen because of a ring chromosome 5 or mosaicism, where not all cells carry the same genetic change. These uncommon forms can lead to a somewhat different pattern of features from one child to another.
Lifestyle risk factors
Cri-du-chat syndrome is a genetic condition, so lifestyle habits do not cause it. Still, how lifestyle affects Cri-du-chat syndrome can be important for growth, mobility, communication, sleep, and day-to-day function. The most helpful habits are those that support feeding, physical development, learning, and symptom control.
Feeding difficulties and poor weight gain are common in Cri-du-chat syndrome, so eating patterns and nutrition support can directly affect growth and strength. Using textures, pacing, and calorie intake suited to swallowing ability may lower choking risk and help maintain healthy development.
Regular movement, physiotherapy-based exercises, and active play can help with low muscle tone, balance, and delayed motor skills in Cri-du-chat syndrome. Staying physically engaged may improve walking, posture, endurance, and participation in daily activities.
Sleep problems can worsen irritability, attention, and daytime functioning in children with Cri-du-chat syndrome. A consistent bedtime routine and good sleep habits may reduce night waking and support behavior and learning.
Daily speech practice, responsive interaction, and use of communication aids can improve how a person with Cri-du-chat syndrome expresses needs and connects with others. Consistent communication work may also reduce frustration-related behaviors.
Risk prevention
Cri-du-chat syndrome is a genetic condition present from birth, so there is no proven way to prevent the syndrome itself in a child who has the chromosome change. For many living with Cri-du-chat syndrome, prevention is mainly about lowering the risk of complications, supporting development, and catching health problems early. Some prevention is universal, others are tailored to people with specific risks. Early, steady medical and developmental care can make day-to-day life safer and more manageable.
If Cri-du-chat syndrome has affected your family, genetic counseling before or during pregnancy can help clarify recurrence risk. This is especially useful because most cases happen by chance, but a small number are linked to a balanced chromosome change in a parent.
When there is a known family risk, prenatal testing may show whether a fetus has the chromosome change linked to Cri-du-chat syndrome. This does not prevent the condition, but it can help families plan medical care and support early.
Routine visits help track growth, feeding, sleep, hearing, vision, and development in people with Cri-du-chat syndrome. Prevention works best when combined with regular check-ups.
Babies with Cri-du-chat syndrome may have weak muscle tone and trouble feeding, which can raise the risk of poor weight gain or choking. Early feeding therapy and guidance on safe positioning can help lower these risks.
Can you prevent Cri-du-chat syndrome?
In most cases, no, Cri-du-chat syndrome cannot be prevented because it usually happens by chance very early before birth when a small piece of genetic material is missing. It is not caused by anything a parent did or did not do during pregnancy. If your family has a history of it, or you have had a child with it before, genetic counseling can help you understand the chance in a future pregnancy and talk through testing options.
Transmission
Cri-du-chat syndrome is not infectious, so it cannot be caught from someone through the air, touch, food, or sex. For families, the key question is how Cri-du-chat syndrome is inherited: it happens when a small piece of chromosome 5 is missing.
Most cases start as a new genetic change around the time of conception, which means neither parent caused it or could have prevented it. Less often, the genetic transmission of Cri-du-chat syndrome is linked to a parent who carries a balanced chromosome rearrangement, and in those families the chance of having another child with the condition can be higher.
When to test your genes
Genetic testing for Cri-du-chat syndrome is usually recommended when a baby or child has a distinctive high-pitched cry, developmental delay, low muscle tone, feeding problems, or birth defects. Confirming the chromosome change early helps tailor therapies, monitor heart and growth issues, and guide family planning, including parental chromosome testing.
Diagnosis
Cri-du-chat syndrome is often suspected early in life because of a distinct pattern of features, such as a high-pitched cry in infancy, feeding difficulties, slow growth, and developmental delay. Getting a diagnosis is often a turning point toward answers and support. Doctors usually combine a physical exam and medical history with genetic testing to confirm the diagnosis of Cri-du-chat syndrome.
Doctors look for a combination of signs such as a high-pitched cry in infancy, low muscle tone, feeding problems, and delays in speech or movement. They also check for common physical features, including a small head size, wide-set eyes, or a small jaw.
A detailed pregnancy, birth, and family history can help place symptoms in context and look for other possible causes. Family history is often a key part of the diagnostic conversation, even though many cases happen for the first time in a family.
The genetic diagnosis of Cri-du-chat syndrome is usually confirmed with a test that looks for missing genetic material on chromosome 5. This may be done with chromosome analysis or more detailed DNA-based testing, depending on what the doctor suspects.
Chromosomal microarray is often used because it can detect small missing pieces of a chromosome that standard testing may miss. It can also help estimate the size of the missing segment, which may give more information about expected health and development needs.
How is Cri-du-chat syndrome diagnosed?
Doctors usually suspect Cri-du-chat syndrome based on a baby’s high-pitched, cat-like cry, slow growth, small head size, low muscle tone, feeding problems, and delays in development, along with a physical exam. To confirm the diagnosis, they use a blood test that checks the chromosomes to see if a small piece of chromosome 5 is missing. Sometimes it is also picked up before birth if an ultrasound shows concerning signs and prenatal testing is done.
Stages of Cri-du-chat syndrome
Cri-du-chat syndrome does not have defined progression stages. This is because it is a genetic condition present from birth, so the main features do not usually unfold in set stages the way some progressive diseases do. Often the process begins when you notice changes in daily life, such as feeding problems in infancy, delayed speech, or slower development, and doctors then look at growth, development, and physical features over time. Diagnosis is usually confirmed with chromosome testing, and follow-up focuses on monitoring early symptoms of Cri-du-chat syndrome, learning, movement, hearing, and support needs as a child grows.
Outlook and prognosis
Outlook in Cri-du-chat syndrome varies with the severity of intellectual disability, feeding problems, heart defects, and other congenital anomalies, but many affected people survive into adulthood. The highest medical risk is usually in infancy and early childhood, when respiratory infections, aspiration, and serious cardiac or neurologic complications can be life-threatening. Mortality is increased mainly in those with major organ malformations or severe medical complications, whereas children without these problems often have a much better life expectancy. Developmental delay and lifelong support needs are common, but early intervention, speech and physical therapy, and appropriate medical care can improve function and quality of life. Many individuals develop meaningful social interaction and stable family or community lives, although independent living is uncommon in more severely affected cases.
Long-term effects
Many living with Cri-du-chat syndrome have lifelong differences in development, communication, and health, but the long-term picture can vary a lot from one person to another. Early childhood is often the time when developmental delays are most noticeable, and these can continue into adult life with different levels of support needs. Long-term effects vary widely, especially in movement, learning, behavior, and day-to-day independence. Some people also have ongoing medical concerns that need follow-up over the years.
Learning and developmental differences often continue through childhood, the teen years, and adulthood. Many people with Cri-du-chat syndrome need ongoing help with speech, daily skills, and school or work-related tasks.
Communication challenges are often one of the most lasting features, and some people use only a few words while others speak in short phrases or sentences. Early symptoms of Cri-du-chat syndrome often include delayed speech, and this may remain a major part of adult life.
Low muscle tone can affect posture, balance, and stamina over many years. In childhood this may delay sitting, walking, or climbing stairs, and later it can still make daily movement more tiring.
Coordination, walking, and fine motor control may stay affected over time. Some may find tasks like buttoning clothes, using utensils, or walking long distances harder than expected for their age.
How is it to live with Cri-du-chat syndrome?
Living with Cri-du-chat syndrome can look very different from one person to another, but for many it means growing up with developmental delays, learning differences, and challenges with speech, movement, feeding, or behavior that can shape daily routines from early childhood onward. Some people with Cri-du-chat syndrome need help with communication, school, personal care, or medical visits, while others gain more independence over time with therapies, support, and a stable routine. For families and other close caregivers, life often involves extra planning, advocacy, and hands-on care, but it can also bring strong bonds, deep knowledge of the person’s unique ways of communicating, and a clear sense that progress may come step by step rather than all at once.
Treatment and drugs
Treatment for Cri-du-chat syndrome focuses on helping with daily challenges rather than curing the condition, because the underlying genetic change cannot currently be reversed. Many people with Cri-du-chat syndrome benefit from early support such as physical therapy for movement, speech and language therapy for communication and feeding, and occupational therapy for everyday skills like dressing, play, and school tasks. Doctors may also treat specific problems as they come up, such as trouble feeding, constipation, reflux, hearing loss, sleep problems, or heart defects, and some children need care from several specialists. Treatment plans often combine several approaches, and the right mix depends on your child’s age, symptoms, and strengths. Support from family, school services, and regular follow-up can make a real difference in day-to-day life for people living with Cri-du-chat syndrome.
Can you cure Cri-du-chat syndrome?
No, Cri-du-chat syndrome cannot be cured at this time because it is a lifelong genetic condition that starts before birth. Treatment does not remove the condition, but early support like speech, physical, and occupational therapy, along with regular medical care and help with learning and behavior, can improve daily skills, communication, movement, and quality of life.
Non-drug treatment
Daily care for Cri-du-chat syndrome usually centers on building skills, improving comfort, and supporting growth at home, school, and in the community. Supportive therapies can make everyday tasks easier, from feeding and communication to movement and learning. Because needs vary widely, care is often tailored to the child's strengths, challenges, and age. Early intervention for Cri-du-chat syndrome can be especially helpful in the first years of life.
Physical therapy helps build strength, balance, and coordination, which can improve sitting, crawling, walking, and safer movement. For many living with Cri-du-chat syndrome, this can mean more confidence on stairs, playgrounds, or getting up from the floor.
Occupational therapy focuses on everyday skills such as grasping toys, using utensils, getting dressed, and managing sensory challenges. It can also help with posture, hand control, and adapting tasks so daily routines feel more manageable.
Speech and language therapy supports communication, even when spoken language is delayed or limited. Some children with Cri-du-chat syndrome benefit from signs, picture systems, or communication devices so they can express needs, choices, and feelings more clearly.
Feeding therapy can help with sucking, chewing, swallowing, and moving safely through mealtimes. This is often useful when low muscle tone, reflux, or poor weight gain make eating slow, tiring, or stressful for families.
Your genes may have an impact on how drugs work for you
For people living with Cri-du-chat syndrome, there is no well-established gene-based rule that predicts how most common medicines will work just because of the syndrome itself. In day-to-day care, medicine response is usually shaped more by the person’s symptoms, age, body size, trouble swallowing, constipation, sleep problems, or seizure history than by the chromosome change alone. This means doctors usually start with the usual safety checks and adjust the dose slowly based on how the person responds, especially with medicines for seizures, behavior, sleep, or digestion.
Pharmacological treatments
There is no medicine that treats the underlying genetic change in Cri-du-chat syndrome, so drug treatment is mainly used to manage specific symptoms and related health problems. Many living with Cri-du-chat syndrome may need medicines for seizures, reflux, constipation, sleep, or behavior depending on their needs. Medication can feel like a big step, but treatment is usually tailored to the symptoms that affect daily life most.
If seizures happen, doctors may use anti-seizure drugs such as levetiracetam, valproate, lamotrigine, or oxcarbazepine. The best choice depends on the seizure type, age, and side effect profile.
For acid reflux, common options include omeprazole or lansoprazole, and sometimes famotidine. These medicines can help if feeding is uncomfortable, there is frequent vomiting, or early symptoms of Cri-du-chat syndrome include poor feeding and back-arching after meals.
Constipation is often treated with polyethylene glycol, also called PEG or macrogol, and sometimes lactulose. These medicines soften stools and can make bowel movements less painful and more regular.
When sleep is a major issue, some doctors may suggest melatonin. Some medicines work quickly, while others need dose changes over time to find the best balance between sleep and next-day drowsiness.
Genetic influences
For families, one of the biggest questions is why Cri-du-chat syndrome happens. Cri-du-chat syndrome is caused by a missing piece of chromosome 5, often called a 5p deletion. It’s natural to ask whether family history plays a role. In most cases, this genetic change happens for the first time around conception, which means parents usually did nothing to cause it and had no way to prevent it. Less often, the missing piece is linked to a parent who carries a balanced chromosome rearrangement and is healthy themselves, which is why chromosome testing and genetic counseling can help explain the genetic cause of Cri-du-chat syndrome and the chance of it happening again in a future pregnancy. The size of the missing segment can influence how the condition shows up, so people with Cri-du-chat syndrome can have different strengths and support needs even with the same diagnosis.
Is Cri-du-chat syndrome genetic?
Genetics are central to Cri-du-chat syndrome. It is usually caused by a missing piece of chromosome 5, and the size and location of that missing segment can help explain why symptoms and support needs vary from person to person.
Having a genetic risk is not necessarily a diagnosis
Genetic changes are a normal part of human biology and are common across the general population. Most of these variants do not directly affect health and are simply part of natural human diversity. For many genes, having a variant associated with a condition suggests a possible link rather than a definite diagnosis, especially when several genes and environmental factors are involved. In some situations, though, one well-understood variant in a particular gene can be enough to confirm a diagnosis.
Pharmacogenetics—how genetics influence drug effects
Because Cri-du-chat syndrome affects each child and adult a bit differently, treatment usually focuses on the specific problems they have rather than on one medicine for the syndrome itself. The underlying genetic change, a missing piece of chromosome 5, can influence how severe feeding problems, reflux, constipation, seizures, sleep trouble, or behavior-related challenges are, and that often shapes which medicines or therapies are most useful. There is no drug that corrects the chromosome change, so treatment options for Cri-du-chat syndrome are usually supportive and may include medicines for seizures, stomach symptoms, attention or sleep concerns, and treatment for heart or breathing problems when needed. Genetics is only one factor; doctors also choose and adjust medication based on age, body size, other health conditions, and how someone responds over time. Unlike some other conditions, Cri-du-chat syndrome does not have a well-established, routine pharmacogenetic test that predicts which medicine will work best, although broader drug-response testing may sometimes be considered if side effects are unusual or treatment is not helping. Close follow-up helps families and clinicians fine-tune care, since many living with Cri-du-chat syndrome need treatment plans that change as they grow.
Interactions with other conditions
Many living with Cri-du-chat syndrome also need care for other health problems that can affect daily life, such as heart defects, trouble feeding, reflux, or repeated chest and ear infections. Doctors call it a comorbidity when two conditions occur together. For families, this can mean that the early symptoms of Cri-du-chat syndrome overlap with signs of another issue, like poor weight gain from feeding difficulties or getting tired easily because of a heart problem. Some people with Cri-du-chat syndrome also have hearing or vision problems, sleep problems, or seizures, and these can add to delays with speech, learning, and movement. In childhood, low muscle tone and swallowing trouble can make respiratory infections more likely, especially during colds or after meals if food or liquid goes down the wrong way. Because these combinations vary from one child to another, care is often safest and most helpful when the pediatrician and any specialists follow the whole picture together.
How genes can cause diseases
Humans have more than 20,000 genes, each carrying out one or a few specific functions in the body. One gene instructs the body to digest lactose from milk, another tells the body how to build strong bones and another prevents the body's cells from beginning to multiply uncontrollably and developing into cancer. As all of these genes combined are the building instructions for our body, a defect in one of these genes can have severe health consequences.
Through decades of genetic research, we know the genetic code of any healthy/functional human gene. We have also identified that in certain positions on a gene, some individuals may have a different genetic letter from the one you have. We call these hotspots "Genetic Variations" or "Variants" in short. In many cases, studies have been able to show that having the genetic letter "G" in the position makes you healthy, but having the letter "A" in the same position disrupts the gene function and causes a disease. Genopedia allows you to view these variants in genes and summarizes all that we know from scientific research, which genetic letters (Genotype) have good or bad consequences on your health or on your traits.
What other conditions can cause similar symptoms to Cri-du-chat syndrome?
Some babies and children with Down syndrome, Angelman syndrome, or other conditions caused by changes in chromosomes can have some of the same signs as Cri-du-chat syndrome, such as delayed development, low muscle tone, feeding trouble, or a smaller head size. In newborns, problems affecting the voice box or brain can also sometimes cause a very high-pitched cry, so doctors often use genetic testing to tell these conditions apart.
History
For many families, the first clue to Cri-du-chat syndrome has often been a baby’s unusual high-pitched cry, along with feeding difficulties, low muscle tone, or slower early development. Long before modern testing existed, doctors and parents recognized that some children seemed to share this pattern, even if the reason was not yet clear.
Cri-du-chat syndrome was first described in the medical literature in the 1960s, when physicians began linking these shared features into a distinct condition. The name comes from French and means “cry of the cat,” because the newborn cry in some babies can sound sharp and mewing. At that time, diagnosis depended mainly on what could be seen and heard during infancy, so milder cases were easier to miss.
As medical science evolved, better chromosome testing made it possible to confirm the diagnosis and understand that Cri-du-chat syndrome is caused by missing genetic material. This helped explain why the condition can vary so much from one child to another. Some babies have the classic early signs, while others are identified later because of speech delay, learning differences, or slower growth.
Over the years, care has also changed. Earlier reports focused mostly on the physical features and medical problems, but today there is much more attention to development, communication, family support, and long-term quality of life. Many living with Cri-du-chat syndrome benefit from early therapies, educational support, and regular medical follow-up, and awareness has helped more families get answers sooner when early symptoms of Cri-du-chat syndrome appear.