[The Wiedemann-Beckwith syndrome. Its natural history and levels of prevention].

We attempted here the delineation of the natural history of the disease and corresponding prevention levels (NHD and PL) of the Wiedemann-Beckwith syndrome according to the classical model of Leavell and Clark for infectious-contagious diseases. This proposal was based on our own series of 39 patients and our previous reports on the didactics of the NHD and PL model, as well as on the relevant literature; with this approach we obtained an useful model which includes the health-disease status, the analysis of risk factors and the integration of the clinical practice with socio-epidemiological medicine. Furthermore, the NHD and PL model allow the selection of the preventive management depending on the clinical stage, namely health or disease. This approach to a Mendelian condition emphasizes that the Leavell and Clark concepts can be advantageously applied to any genetic disease.