Symptoms
Being diagnosed with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy comes with a wide range of symptoms. When symptoms first become present, one will notice the child falling often or being overly clumsy. At the beginning, the child will usually be a late walker, have difficulties getting up from the floor, trouble with climbing stairs and running. Some children may also experience enlarged calf muscles, known as pseudohypertrophy. This is a false enlargement from scar tissue forming around the muscle. By the time a child is around school age, one will begin to walk on their toes and balls of their feet, looking liking a slight waddle and causing them to fall frequently. At this stage, the child will begin to stick out their belly and pull back their shoulders to gain balance. Other common symptoms that become noticeable include: fatigue, motor skill problems, difficulty standing or sitting, delayed speech development, and some minor muscle cramps, which are usually not painful. As the muscles weaken, happening quite quickly, the diaphragm and other muscles that operate the lungs, may weaken as well causing: headaches, mental dullness; leading to some learning disabilities, difficulty concentrating or staying awake, and it also may become very difficult to cough, possibly leading to serious lung infections. Symptoms begin to appear between the ages two and three where weakness begins in the legs/pelvis and less severe in the arms, neck and other areas. All walking ability may be completely lost by the age of twelve.
https://www.mda.org/disease/duchenne-muscular-dystrophy/signs-and-symptoms
www.mayoclinic.org/disease-conditions/muscluar-dystrophy/basics/symptoms.can-20021240
https://www.nlm.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000705.htm
www.webmd.com/children.understanding-muscular-dystrophy-symptoms
patient.info/health/Duchenne-muscular-dystrophy-leaflet
https://www.mda.org/disease/duchenne-muscular-dystrophy/signs-and-symptoms
www.mayoclinic.org/disease-conditions/muscluar-dystrophy/basics/symptoms.can-20021240
https://www.nlm.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000705.htm
www.webmd.com/children.understanding-muscular-dystrophy-symptoms
patient.info/health/Duchenne-muscular-dystrophy-leaflet