Trisomy Awareness: Support Organization For Trisomy (Trisomy.org)
Trisomy18.org · Trisomy 13 Life · Donate
Sources: Trisomy.org; National Institutes of Health
Normally, human beings have 23 pairs of chromosomes, one from each parent. But if a third chromosome turns up as a fertilized human egg begins dividing into cells to form a baby — when our chromosomal wiring gets crossed — trisomy occurs: either full (affecting all the cells), mosaic (affecting some cells), or partial (when the third chromosome is a fragment).
Most of the time, trisomy conditions are not passed from one generation to the next, but result from a random error that occurs during cell division very early on in development.
Trisomy can occur with any pair of chromosomes. Health conditions and problems associated with trisomy include physical abnormalities such as extra fingers or toes; systemic issues such as irregular heartbeat patterns; and intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDDs). Full Trisomy 16 is regarded as the most common cause of first-trimester miscarriages.
The best-known form of trisomy is Down Syndrome (Trisomy 21): mild-to-moderate IDDs, heart abnormalities, and risk for hearing or vision loss.
Trisomy 18 (Edwards syndrome) occurs in about 1 in 5,000 live births each year in the United States. Infants with Trisomy 18 often have severe IDDs as well as serious heart problems and other life-threatening issues that make them less likely to live past their first birthday.
Trisomy 13 (Patau Syndrome) occurs in about 1 in 8,000 live births each year worldwide. Trisomy 13 is associated with more severe IDDs and multiple physical problems, including serious heart problems.
Support Organization for Trisomy (SOFT) is a network of families and professionals dedicated to providing support and understanding to families involved in the issues and decisions surrounding the diagnosis and care in Trisomy 18, 13 and other related chromosomal disorders.
SOFT is committed to respect a family’s personal decision and has supported families for three decades and with the consistent problems and concerns they have reported through the years. The primary concern of all parents is viability of their newborn, and of how to manage the care of a child with health and disability issues and a prognosis of an uncertain tomorrow.