A Unique Challenge: The Newborn with an Adult-Sized Tongue Overcomes Rare Syndrome. An

Suffering from Beckwith Wiedemann syndrome (BWS) – a congenital growth disorder, a newborn baby in South Dakota, USA has a tongue as big as an adult’s.

Paisley Morrison-Johnson, a newborn girl in South Dakota, USA with a tongue as big as an adult’s due to a rare genetic disease, can finally smile after having surgery to shrink her tongue.

The disease that causes the baby’s tongue to be so unusual is called Beckwith Wiedemann Syndrome (BWS) – a congenital growth disorder syndrome. This syndrome has an incidence of only 1/14,000, with the main manifestation being excessive growth in some parts of the body.

A large tongue is a typical symptom. In many children, the tongue is large and continues to grow, causing difficulty breathing, eating and speaking, while the child often drools.

With this disease, right from birth, Paisley could not eat normally. Food was fed into her stomach through a tube until she was 6 months old.

Paisley Morrison-Johnson is now 16 months old and has had to undergo two surgeries to remove the excess tongue and shrink the tongue. Now he can eat and smile, and is babbling and learning to speak.

Suffering from a strange syndrome, a newborn baby has a tongue as big as an adult's tongue photo 1

Baby Paisley Morrison-Johnson has a big tongue due to Beckwith Wiedemann syndrome – a congenital growth disorder. (Source: Dailymail)

Suffering from a strange syndrome, a newborn baby has a tongue as big as an adult's tongue photo 2

Parents and baby Paisley Morrison-Johnson at birth. (Source: Dailymail)

Suffering from a strange syndrome, a newborn baby has a tongue as big as an adult's tongue photo 3

Baby Paisley had to use a ventilator for the first week after birth because her tongue was so large it made it difficult for her to breathe. (Source: Dailymail)

Suffering from a strange syndrome, a newborn baby has a tongue as big as an adult's tongue photo 4

Baby Paisley had to undergo two surgeries to shrink her tongue. (Source: Dailymail)

Suffering from a strange syndrome, a newborn baby has a tongue as big as an adult's tongue photo 5

Baby Paisley had to undergo two surgeries to shrink her tongue. (Source: Dailymail)

Suffering from a strange syndrome, a newborn baby has a tongue as big as an adult's tongue photo 6

After surgery, baby Paisley can now eat, smile and babble. (Source: Dailymail)

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