Tuesday Topic: Trisome 18, Edward Syndrome

• Trisomy 18 is a genetic disorder associated with the presence of extra material from chromosome 18.
• Trisomy 18, also called Edwards syndrome, is a chromosomal condition associated with severe intellectual disability and abnormalities in many parts of the body. Individuals with trisomy 18 often have a low birth weight; a small, abnormally shaped head; a small jaw and mouth; clenched fists with overlapping fingers; heart defects; and abnormalities of other organs.
• Fifty percent of infants with this condition do not survive beyond the first week of life. Some children have survived to teenage years, but with serious medical and developmental problems.
• Most cases of trisomy 18 are not inherited, but occur as random events during the formation of eggs and sperm. An error in cell division called nondisjunction results in a reproductive cell with an abnormal number of chromosomes. My Mom, sister Terra and nephew Evan happen to be rare, and carry this to possibly pass on.