Easily described, the chromosomes are the structure that carry our genes. Most people have 46 chromosomes assembled in 23 couples, one half of every couple comes from the father and the other half from the mother. The 22 first couples are named after their number (1-22) while the last couple, the sex chromosomes, are labeled X and Y. A male has one of each (XY) and a woman has two X chromosomes (XX).

Edwards syndrome means that there is an extra chromosome 18 in all of the cells and three chromosomes instead of two in the 18th couple of chromosomes.

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The syndrome is named after the English geneticist John Hilton Edward who described it in 1960.

Children with Edwards syndrome are often in need of a lot of care during the neonatal period, and it is important that families get social and psychological support early in the process.

The chromosome abnormality also causes harm on the heart, brain, kidneys and intestines. These hard combination of complications often results in miscarriage during fetal stage. Kids that survive the first year possess a possibility to live many kids- and youth years.

A few people (less than 5%) with Edwards syndrome have chromosome mosaicism, which means that there is a mix of cells with a regular set of chromosomes and cells with an extra chromosome 18. In these cases the symptoms tend to be less complicated.

Stories

Here we share some interviews, stories and other interesting stuff for families with special experiences.

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23 November, 2023

Elevate your company's holiday gift this year – infuse it with the transformative power to make a lasting impact!

Our Normal Association, a non-profit committed to genuine inclusion for children and young people with disabilities, invites your company to…

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hush-naidoo-jade-photography-yo01Z-9HQAw-unsplash
20 March, 2022

Families share their views on their experiences with the Swedish health care system

Families within the Our Normal network have shared their views on how they are being met by the Swedish health…

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sigge_1
17 July, 2019

“Sigge shows us something new everyday that he has learnt in school.”

In this article, Ida tells us about her son Sigge’s year in preschool class. It was a long process to…

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