Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome (BWS) is an overgrowth syndrome, one of several such medical conditions identified by geneticists.  BWS is named for the physicians who first described the association of body overgrowth (increased birth weight, height and head circumference), omphalocele (failure of abdominal wall closure), macroglossia (enlarged tongue), hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) and other physical characteristics. Patients with BWS are also at an increased risk of developing certain types of cancer. However, little is known about the cancer risk to a specific individual with BWS or how the genetic change in BWS are related to the occurrence of cancer.*

Learn More...   

      - Read about Dr. J. Bruce Beckwith
        - Who Was Max Wilms (namesake of the Wilms Tumor)

* Information from Children's Hospital St. Louis and Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine Pamphlet.