We may divide most common symptoms according to age as follows:
Early onset phase (6-18 months): Developmental arrest like inability to walk, talk and/or eat, loss of interest in toys and social interaction, decreased eye contact, repetitive hand movements, breathing irregularities.
Rapid Destructive phase (1-4 years): Loss of acquired skills (like motor, language and social skills), loss of purposeful hands use, increased severity of breathing irregularities, seizures, decrease in head circumference.
Plateau phase (2-10 years): Progression decreases and stabilizes. Some improvement in hand usage and social interaction. Breathing irregularity continues without progression. Improvement in communication and use of hands may be observed. Cognitive functions continue to decline.
Later motor deterioration (After 10 years): Severe loss of motor function, increased muscle stiffness (spasticity), increased and unbalanced curvature of spine (scoliosis).
MECP2