Cat Cry

What is Cat Cry?

Defined as a very unique high-pitched cry, that resembles the sound of a kitten crying. It is identified in infants but tends to disappear with age. It is mainly associated with Cri du Chat syndrome, however, other conditions, genetic or not, may have this characteristic.

The reasons for the cry include: laryngeal hypoplasia, floppy epiglottis, small larynx, and asymmetric vocal cords, as well as damage or dysfunction relating to the central nervous system.

Understanding throat and voice-related symptoms and features

Symptoms may affect multiple parts of the body. Understanding which part of the body a symptom affects, can help us to better understand the potential underlying causes of a symptom, including a rare disease or genetic syndrome.

The throat is an essential part of the body as it transports food, liquid, and air. It is also important for its role in connecting the nose and mouth to the windpipe and lungs for breathing, and it connects them to the esophagus which is essential for eating. The throat also contains the vocal cords responsible for speech.

Symptoms affecting the throat and voice can not for the most part be seen with the naked eye. Although diagnosing a throat and voice-related symptom may involve different tests and assessments, both subjective and objective.

Symptoms relating to the throat may affect its structure and its different functions: including its respiratory, feeding, and vocal functions.

What should I do next?

In some instances, a cat like cry may be one of the features of a rare disease or genetic syndrome. To find out if someone with Cat Cry, may be due to a genetic syndrome, it is important to have a consultation and evaluation with a clinical genetic specialist.  Specialists may also suggest specific genetic testing or other types of tests to help reach a diagnosis.  FDNA’s AI technology can help speed up the diagnostic process by analyzing facial features and other health information.