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Dr. Andrew Rynne
MD
Dr. Andrew Rynne

Family Physician

Exp 50 years

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What Are The Complications And Life Expectancy Of Infants With The Chromosome 13 Problem?

Have you had any dealings with infants with the chromosome 13 problem & being deformed? Are they usually delivered full term? If the problems are very severe, do they live past the first day? If there are so many problems with facial and head and possibly brain, but the heart and lungs are good, can they live outside the womb and if so for how long? If births like this happen, how does the mother usually take it? To have a baby not perfect and so deformed, can the mother cope with this?
Tue, 17 Jul 2018
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Pediatrician,  's  Response
Hello. Welcome to 'Ask A Doctor'. I have read your query and here is my advice.
Infants born with trisomy 13(three of the number 13 chromosomes instead of the usual two) can be carried to full term. However, they grow poorly in the womb and are small at birth. Some of the abnormalities these babies can have are:
-abnormal retinae(the membrane at the back of the eye)
-heart valve disease
-abnormal head and face
-extra fingers with fingers turned in abnormal positions
-urinary tract malformations

More than 80% of babies with trisomy 13 die within the first year of life.
It is difficult for any parent to lose an infant. Has mother had an ultra-sound? What did it reveal? Is mother expecting to give birth to a baby with multiple defects?
It will be a great benefit to both parents to be prepared for their newborn to have multiple defects and a grim chance of surviving. Still it helps many parents of terminally ill newborns if they can hold their baby even when dead, take pictures of the baby, and cut some hair from baby's scalp for remembrance.
Do the parents belong to a House of Worship?
The infant should HAVE a funeral. This will help with the grieving process and allow parents to say goodbye in a formal ceremony.
Of significant help to the baby's parents will be to locate a support group. When searching, they might want to combine trisomy 18, trisomy 13, and related disorders on one line.
Hope I have answered your query. If you have any further questions, I will be happy to help.


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What Are The Complications And Life Expectancy Of Infants With The Chromosome 13 Problem?

Hello. Welcome to Ask A Doctor . I have read your query and here is my advice. Infants born with trisomy 13(three of the number 13 chromosomes instead of the usual two) can be carried to full term. However, they grow poorly in the womb and are small at birth. Some of the abnormalities these babies can have are: -abnormal retinae(the membrane at the back of the eye) -heart valve disease -abnormal head and face -extra fingers with fingers turned in abnormal positions -urinary tract malformations More than 80% of babies with trisomy 13 die within the first year of life. It is difficult for any parent to lose an infant. Has mother had an ultra-sound? What did it reveal? Is mother expecting to give birth to a baby with multiple defects? It will be a great benefit to both parents to be prepared for their newborn to have multiple defects and a grim chance of surviving. Still it helps many parents of terminally ill newborns if they can hold their baby even when dead, take pictures of the baby, and cut some hair from baby s scalp for remembrance. Do the parents belong to a House of Worship? The infant should HAVE a funeral. This will help with the grieving process and allow parents to say goodbye in a formal ceremony. Of significant help to the baby s parents will be to locate a support group. When searching, they might want to combine trisomy 18, trisomy 13, and related disorders on one line. Hope I have answered your query. If you have any further questions, I will be happy to help.