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Trisomy 13 is a genetic disorder that your baby gets when she has an extra 13th chromosome. In other words, she has three copies of her chromosome 13 when she should have just two.
The additional chromosome can come from either the egg or the sperm, but doctors think that the chances a woman will have a baby with any chromosome abnormality go up after age 35.
The extra 13th chromosome causes severe mental and physical problems. Unfortunately, most babies born with it don’t live past their first month or year. But some can survive for years.
| Charitable Organizations | Location | Est. |
Services |
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SOFT Ireland |
Dublin | 1991 | Voluntary group dedicated to providing support for families of children born with Patau’s Syndrome (Trisomy 13), Edwards’ Syndrome (Trisomy 18) and related chromosomal disorders. |
Trisomy 13 is a genetic disorder that your baby gets when she has an extra 13th chromosome. In other words, she has three copies of her chromosome 13 when she should have just two. It happens when cells divide abnormally during reproduction, and create extra genetic material on chromosome 13.
The additional chromosome can come from either the egg or the sperm, but doctors think that the chances a woman will have a baby with any chromosome abnormality go up after age 35.
The extra 13th chromosome causes severe mental and physical problems. Unfortunately, most babies born with it don’t live past their first month or year. But some can survive for years.
Your doctor might spot physical signs of trisomy 13 during your routine first-trimester fetal ultrasounds. Or it could show up in tests such as cell-free DNA screening (NIPT) or the PAPP-A (pregnancy-associated plasma protein A).
These are all screening tests, which means they can’t tell your doctor whether your baby definitely has trisomy 13. They only alert your doctor that your baby is more likely to have trisomy 13, and that you need more tests to confirm it.
Your doctor likely will recommend you have a chorionic villus sampling (CVS) or amniocentesis to be 100% certain.
Babies born with trisomy 13 often have a low birthweight, even if they are not born before the due date. They usually have brain-structure problems, which can affect their facial development, as well. A baby with trisomy 13 may have eyes set close together and an underdeveloped nose or nostrils.
Other birth defects of trisomy 13 include:
Babies born with trisomy 13 can have many health problems, and more than 80% don’t survive more than a few weeks. Those that do can have serious complications including:
There is no cure for trisomy 13, and treatments focus on your baby’s symptoms. These can include surgery and therapy. Although, depending on the severity of your baby’s issues, some doctors may choose to wait and consider any measures based on the chances of your baby’s survival.
Trisomy 13 isn’t always fatal. But doctors can’t predict how long a baby might live if she doesn’t have any immediate life-threatening problems. However, babies born with trisomy 13 rarely live into their teens.
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