Trisomy 13
Patau's syndrome is a rare, serious genetic disorder caused by having an additional copy of chromosome 13 in some or all of the body's cells. It's also called trisomy 13.
Each cell normally contains 23 pairs of Genetics , which carry the genes you inherit from your parents.
But a baby with Patau's syndrome has three copies of chromosome 13, instead of two.
This severely disrupts normal development and, in many cases, results in miscarriage , stillbirth , or the baby dying shortly after birth.
Babies with Patau's syndrome grow slowly in the womb and have a low birth weight, along with a number of other serious medical problems.
Patau's syndrome affects about1 in every 5,000 births.The risk of having a baby with the syndrome increases with the mother's age.
More than9 out of 10 children (over 90%) born with Patau's syndrome die during the first year.
About 5-10% of babies with less severe forms of the syndrome, such as partial or mosaic trisomy 13, live for more thana year.
This topic covers the following areas:
Symptoms and features
Causes
Screening
Treatment and management
Genetic testing
Further information and support
Find out about Patau's syndrome, also known as trisomy 13, which is a serious genetic disorder where a baby has an extra copy of chromosome 13.
Babies with Patau's syndrome can have a wide range of health problems. Their growth in the womb is often restricted, resulting in a low birth weight, and 80% will be born with severe heart defects.
Patau's syndromehappens by chance and isn't caused by anything the parents have done. Most cases of the syndrome don't run in families (they're not inherited). They occur randomly during conception,
You'll be offered a screening test for Patau's syndrome as well as Down's syndrome (trisomy 21) and Edwards' syndrome (trisomy 18) from 10-14 weeks of pregnancy. The test assesses your chances of ha
Both parents will need to have their chromosomes analysed if their baby is affected by Patau's syndrome caused by a chromosomal translocation. Genetic testing is carried out to help parents plan for