In the United States, it is estimated that more than 40,000 people suffer from complications associated with muscular dystrophy disorders. As a progressive condition that leads to loss of muscle control, muscle strength and deterioration of muscle cells and fibers, the quality of life for those who suffer from muscular dystrophy is significantly deteriorated with time.

Of the muscular dystrophy disorders, the complication known as myotonic dystrophy is considered the most complex of the genetic classifications. When myotonic dystrophy develops, the individual who suffers from the complication will experience an increase in fat and connective tissue deposits in the muscle fibers. As a result, the muscle groups involved will become enlarged, resulting in degeneration and abnormal growth and development. In most myotonic dystrophy patients, the complication most often involves the fingers, arms, legs, feet and the face.

If your child has been diagnosed with myotonic dystrophy, you can expect there will a variety of health complications. Of primary concern is the implication myotonic dystrophy will have upon your child's facial muscles. Weakness in the facial muscles results in a variety of complications with the most notable feature involving the inability to hold the mouth closed. As the jaw typically hangs open, this complication will lead to complications involving feeding issues, an inability to breathe normally and, often, can impose speech complications.

As myotonic dystrophy progresses, children who suffer from this complex form of muscular dystrophy will often develop complications involving the attention deficit and mental deterioration. In many cases, memory and cognitive functions are disturbed. As your child's muscles continue to deteriorate, there will be great need for a collaborative effort in your child's healthcare team.

While there is no cure for muscular dystrophy, including myotonic dystrophy, it is important to aggressively manage your child's muscle wasting and muscle atrophy complication so as to slow the progression of the disease and maintain, as best as possible, the integrity of the muscle function.

As the parent of a child with myotonic dystrophy, it will be important that you take a lead in developing a life care plan and establish who the respective specialists will be in each field. Your child will require specialties from all aspect of health care, including psychotherapy, physical therapy and speech therapy. The focus of your child's care should be that which is aggressive and started at a very young age, soon after diagnosis is made.

As with any congenital defect, it is important to obtain early diagnosis and treatment. For children who are diagnosed with the most severe form of muscular dystrophy, known as myotonic dystrophy, the complications can be quite extensive, resulting in abnormal growth and development of the muscle groups. For this reason, managing muscle integrity for as long as possible will ensure your child is able to retain some of their physical and mental faculties for a slightly longer period of time.