What is the cause of Treacher Collins Syndrome?
Treacher Collins syndrome is a genetic condition. A genetic condition is caused by the presence of one or more genes that are either not working at all or not working as they should. Genes are the smallest units of hereditary information and may be thought of as a blueprint or “code” for everything that takes place in the body. Genes are passed from generation to generation. Genes occur in pairs, and everyone has thousands of different gene pairs. Treacher Collins Syndrome is believed to be caused by a change in the gene on chromosome 5, which affects facial development. About 40 percent of the time, one parent has Treacher Collins Syndrome. If the parents of the affected child are not affected by the syndrome, the chances of a sibling having Treacher Collins are minimal.
