cat-cry syndrome [L, catta, cat, quiritare, to cry out; Gk, syndromos, course] , a rare congenital disorder characterized at birth by a kittenlike cry caused by a laryngeal anomaly. The condition is associated with a defect in chromosome 5. Other characteristics include low birth weight, microcephaly, “moon face,” wide-set eyes, strabismus, and low-set misshapen ears. Infants are hypotonic; heart defects and mental and physical impairments are common. Also called chromosome 5p-syndrome, cri-du-chat syndrome.
