Maria Audenete do Nascimento had the look and mind of a 9-month-old baby until she was 32 years old. Maria Audenete suffers from a rare condition called hypothyroidism, which stopped her growth when she was 9 months old. She also cannot develop mentally into an older child, let alone into an adult. In 2013, doctors started treating her, so she learned to walk freely, but she will probably not develop much further. She looks like a toddler and will look like that for the rest of her life. She also behaves like a very young child. Maria Audenete do Nascimento was born in May 1981. When she was 9 months old she stopped growing. She has had the appearance of a baby for 33 years with even the characteristic baby folds in her arms and legs. The woman, who looks like a baby, is wearing diapers and her behavior also shows strong similarities with a child from 9 months to a maximum of 2 years. She cannot talk. She shows interest in objects around her, but only in the way that children from a very young age do. Her motor skills are not much more developed than the motor skills of a toddler.
Appearance
Anyone who sees Maria Audenete initially thinks that she is an ordinary little child of no more than 24 months old. She learned to walk freely after the age of 33, but she walks unsteadily and unsteadily on her bow legs. She hardly talks. She has very little hair, and she has the motor skills of a toddler. If you look closer, you will quickly notice a few things. Her face also has some unusual features, such as wide-set eyes and a wide nose bridge. Her face is strongly proportioned, her skin is dry. As a result, you would at most think that there is something wrong with the child, but no one would suspect that she has been the age of an adult for years. Yet it is so. Maria Audenete do Nascimento was born with a thyroid condition that slows down growth and overall development.
Why isn’t Maria Audenete growing?
According to scientists from the local university, Maria’s unique dwarfism is caused by a disturbance in the thyroid gland that has prevented her from growing for decades. Her condition is called Congenital Hypothyroidism (CHT). The consequence (formerly called cretinism) is quite rare, but easy to treat. Cretinism is a form of dwarfism. Her parents are poor and could not afford a doctor to examine the child. So they never knew what exactly was wrong with her. Her biological mother died when Maria was 15 years old. Her father remarried and her stepmother took care of the special ‘baby.’
No money for medical treatment
However, deficiencies have affected the growth of Maria’s bones and organs for years, and her mental development has also come to a standstill. So she has always remained a baby, both mentally and physically, because medical treatment was not forthcoming. Congenital hypothyroidism (CHT) can be treated with medications if treatment is started early.
How is Maria treated by her parents?
According to her stepmother, her daughter was treated like any other nine-month-old baby for 32 years. She was bathed and her diapers were changed regularly. She played a little and was able to eat her own porridge with a spoon. She could also stand upright if she could hold something with her hands, such as a couch or chair or the edge of a table. She was not yet able to walk independently at the age of 32. When her mother played cheerful music for her, she danced as babies of about 9 months do, wiggling a little with underdeveloped coordination.
Can Maria Audenete do Nascimento still heal and grow?
Only since Maria Audenete appeared in the media have donations started coming in from people who wanted to pay for medical research and treatment. Since then she has been on medication and is fitter. It is not possible to catch up and Maria Audenete do Nascimento will therefore never recover. Medicines can make her feel better and she has made slight progress in her development. She can run free. She is also less tired.
What is cretinism?
Cretinism is a form of dwarfism because the thyroid gland does not work properly or is completely or partially missing. The condition is congenital. If a thyroid gland is present, it does not function sufficiently with cretins. This causes a shortage of certain substances that prevent a child from growing. Severe mental retardation also occurs. Children with cretinism are sluggish, often tired and sleepy, and they have dry skin. In the Netherlands, approximately 2 in 6,000 children are born every year with this condition (Congenital hypothyroidism (CHT). In our country, however, this is now quickly discovered via the heel prick, and then a child can be treated immediately and lead a relatively normal life, although will remain dependent on medication for life.
Medical treatment Maria Audenete do Nascimento
Maria Audenete has been in better condition since the medication treatment started. She has even learned to walk loose and she also seems more active. However, she will never be able to grow up into an adult. The treatment started much too late for that. After the treatment, she has the appearance of a toddler who has only just learned to walk. Now that she is walking upright, she looks about 2 years old. It is unlikely that she will develop much further than what she is now. If medical treatment had been started when the condition manifested, she could have grown up into an ordinary woman. Yet Maria is a cheerful person. She seems unaware of her condition and laughs a lot.
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