Patau syndrome also known as an extra 13th chromosome is caused by extra genetic information found in the 13th set of chromosomes in each cell. Because of this extra genetic information it causes extreme abnormalities and physical and organ defects, even someone with a minor case still can have some sort of disability or abnormality. Between “1 in 10,000 and 1 in 20,000 are affected.”
Patau syndrome mainly affects the nervous system and physical features of the person affected. Some signs of patau syndrome that are most common are “mental retardation, deformed facial features, deformed feet and hands, and heart and kidney defects. Patau syndrome can be screened before the mother gives birth, unfortunately some parents choose to abort the pregnancy. In some extreme cases the fetus is not able to survive in the womb and the mother miscarries during the 1st trimester, and sometimes the 2nd.
There are other syndromes that can affect the body when there’s an extra 13th chromosome but the most common disease is patau syndrome. “80% of infants that are born with this unfortunate syndrome usually don’t live past the age of one year. Many infants who survive the first couple of years may receive surgeries to fix heart defects and physical abnormalities, but the life expectancy for someone with patau syndrome is very low.
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