Introduction
Having one extra copy of chromosome 13 in the body cells, instead of the normal two, causes Patau's syndrome, a deadly genetic condition. Trisomy 13 chromosome 13 and full trisomy 13 are other names for it. A condition known as mosaic trisomy 13 occurs when the abnormality only affects a subset of cells while the remaining cells maintain their normal pair (Greydanus, Malhotra & Merrick, 2016).
Effects on Babies
Babies who are afflicted typically experience numerous health issues. First, there is no holoprosencephaly, which is the splitting of the brain into two. The resultant effect is affected facial features and defects such as cleft lip and palate, unusually small eyes, nonappearance of one or both eyes, condensed space between the eyes and complications with the growth of the nasal passages. Other challenges are rocker bottom feet which are a rounded bottom to feet, flexion of the fingers which is extra fingers, heart defects, smaller than usual head size, skin absent from the forehead, ear defects and deafness and neural tube flaws.
Growth and Birth Issues
As a result of the additional chromosome 13, the babies’ growth in the uterus is often restricted causing low birth weights, and the majority of affected babies are born with extreme heart defects. The disrupted development most times than not end in stillbirth, miscarriage or death soon after birth. In the United States, there is exists merger evidence of considerable ethnic or geographical differences in regularity. Patau’s syndrome occurs in about 1 in every 5000 births. The chances of having a baby affected by the syndrome are exacerbated by the increase in a mother’s age.
Survival and Conclusion
Most children born with the Patau’s syndrome die within a year. Nonetheless, some babies survive well into their teen's regards on existing data about their survival rate. Reports of adults affected by the disorder, however, are rare.
References
Greydanus, D., Malhotra, D., & Merrick, J. (2016). Chronic Disease and Disability. Hauppauge: Nova Science Publishers, Inc.
