What does the genetic disorder called Edwards Syndrome cause?”
There are 23 pairs of chromosomes present in any cell of human body. During reproduction a normal cell of sperm or ova carry 23 individual chromosomes; one of each contributes to make 23 pairs of chromosomes. Thus, a cell of healthy fertilized egg carries 23 pairs or 46 in nos. chromosomes. In trisomy, due to some genetic disorder numerical errors occur at the time of two meiotic cell division stage which results in to failure of segregation of chromosomes into the newly formed cell. This process is known as non-disjunction which gives rise to abnormality in chromosome numbers.
Edwards syndrome (Also known as Trisomy 18 syndrome): Children with the syndrome have an extra chromosome 18 with a characteristic pattern of multiple malformations and mental retardation. Features include low birth weight, small head (microcephaly), small jaw (micrognathia), malformations of the heart and kidneys, clenched fists with abnormal finger positioning, and malformed feet. The mental retardation is profound with an IQ too low to measure. Nineteen out of 20 of these children die before their first birthday. The condition is named after the British physician and geneticist John Edwards who discovered the extra chromosome in 1960.
Latoriya Phillips, 25, of Jackson saw her baby girl, Jada Michal, born weighing only 4 pounds, 5 ounces despite being full term. She suffered from Edward’s Syndrome, a genetic disorder that causes heart defects and other health problems. Her husband, Marques Phillips, quit his job to take care of their daughter full time from shortly after her Feb. 5, 2008, birth until her death on July 31, 2008. “She was a dynamic baby,” Latoriya Phillips said. “She smiled and moved and was not that different from other babies. She simply outgrew her heart.” She praised Mississippi’s new pilot program as something that will help mothers.
