Living with Trisomy 13 - Patau Syndrome
Most of us have heard of down syndrome which is also known as trisomy 21. There is another type of genetic error called trisomy 13 which causes a number of problems in the child. This article explains more:The 13th chromosome contains blueprints that direct a baby's development in the early weeks following conception. When a child has an extra 13th chromosome, as is the case in trisomy 13, the genetic messages are confused and contradictory -- there's just too much to juggle. This results in multiple significant defects in major organ systems. The brain is often the most severely affected. It's also not unusual for these children to be born blind, deaf, and with no sense of smell. Taste and touch become the limited means by which a mother can convey an ocean of feeling.
Fore more on pregnancy over 40 and preventing birth defects, visit: getpregnantover40.com
Most children with trisomy 13 have some kind of heart defect, but a double-outlet right ventricle is uncommon. A normal heart has four chambers. Blood from the body enters the right atrium. From there it flows into the right ventricle, whose strong muscular wall sends the blood out of the heart to the lungs (via the pulmonary artery). In the lungs, the blood is supplied with oxygen before it returns to the heart, entering the left atrium. From there it flows into the left ventricle, whose mighty walls propel the blood out of the heart (via the aorta) to supply the rest of the body with oxygen.
from:
www.pregnancy.org
