Trisomy18, Edwards Syndrome
Like down syndrome trisomy 18 (Edwards Syndrome) affects all organs and systems of body. Trisomy 18 adversely affects all system organs of human body. Its symptoms include –
1. On nervous system and brain- Edwards Syndrome severely affects central nervous system and brain. Mental retardation and delayed brain developments are the common found brain malfunctions. High muscle tone, physical malformation, seizures can also be found.
2. Head and face- It is characterized by distinct facial abnormalities. Microganthia, (abnormally small jaws), Microcephaly (small head), low set ears, epicanthal folds, wide set eyes, small eyes, small mouth, upturned nose, prominent back portion of head, and palpebral fissures (narrow eyelid folds ) are some of the common found symptoms.
3. Heart- 90% of the victims suffer from congenital heart defects. Ventricular septal defect, Atricular septal defect, coronary valve defect, patent ductus arteriosus are known symptoms found.
4. Bones- Clenched fists with its 2nd and 5th fingers overlapped on others, severe growth retardation, rocker bottom feet, webbing, absent radius, shorten nails are some of the symptoms visible.
5. Besides this, malfunctioning and malformations of digestive tract, reproductive systems, and urinary tract are found.
Prognosis
As more than half of the affected infants do not survive beyond 5 to 6 days so these abnormalities are not compatible with more than 2 to 3 months. Very rare cases have survived to teen age but suffered severely with handicaps and finally succumb.
Treatment
Due to its nature, life sustaining measures are not recommended. The medical treatment for individuals suffering from trisomy 18 is always supportive which is focused on treating infections, heart problems and providing nutrition. Due to its complex, multifaceted nature only 5% chance of survival up to 1 year of age is present.
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