Our Trisomy 18 Journey...: Pictures of different occasions this month...

What is Trisomy 18?

Trisomy 18 (also known as Edward Syndrome) is a chromosomal condition in which all or a part of chromosome 18 is present in the cells of the body three times (trisomy) rather than the usual two times. The syndrome impacts severely upon intellectual and physical development. It appears to affect females three to four times more frequently than males; it occurs in about 1 in 5,000 to 1 in 7,000 live births; about 1% of all recognized miscarriages occur in association with trisomy 18. Of all babies born with the extra copy of chromosome 18, 50% do not survive one week of age and 90% do not survive past the first year of life.