Edwards syndrome

Edwards syndrome is a very serious congenital disorder. A child with Edwards syndrome has not got two, but three copies of chromosome 18 in each cell. Another name for Edwards syndrome is trisomy 18. It is much less common than Down syndrome. Of every 10,000 children born, about 1 child has Edwards syndrome. The older the pregnant woman, the greater the chance of having a child with Edwards syndrome.

Most children with Edwards syndrome die during pregnancy or shortly after birth. The children often have growth retardation before birth. Live-born children with Edwards syndrome have a low birth weight. They have very fragile health and usually die in the first year of life.

Children with Edwards syndrome have a very severe intellectual disability. About 9 out of 10 children have a serious congenital heart defect. Other organs such as the kidneys and intestines are also often affected. Also, children can have an open abdomen and an esophageal closure. The child may have a small face with a large skull. The health problems are always serious. The nature and severity of these problems differ from child to child.