Prognosis
Unfortunately, the prognosis for trisomy 18 is very poor. About 90% of the affected fetuses die in the womb during pregnancy and are not born alive. Unfortunately, the mortality of the born babies is also extremely high.
On average, only about 5% of affected infants reach an age of more than 12 months. On average, babies born alive die after a lifespan of 4 days. Statistically, girls suffering from trisomy 18 have a higher life expectancy than boys. A cure for trisomy 18 is unfortunately not yet possible today.
Course of disease
Trisomy 18 is a so-called chromosomal aberration, which leads to pronounced abnormalities of normal development already during the development of the fetus in the womb. Since Edwards Syndrome is characterized by a variety of developmental disorders and resulting disabilities, it is difficult to generalize. Typical changes include severe changes in the shape of the face and skull, postural abnormalities of the hands and organic abnormalities. The vast majority of the affected fetuses die in the womb and are not born alive. Unfortunately, the prognosis for babies born alive is also very poor due to severe organic abnormalities and lack of healing.
How contagious is this?
Trisomy 18 is not an infection, but a randomly occurring gene mutation. This gene mutation is not caused by viruses or bacteria and is not contagious in any way. Neither contact with the affected child nor contact with the child’s parents or siblings can cause infection. Infection is also not possible through food or other products.
