What Is DiGeorge Syndrome?

By james

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Each child will share the DNA of both parents. There is a vast amount of information in DNA and it is inevitable that some “errors” will occur when DNA is being copied. This is why children with the same parents will usually look different from each other.

Sometimes, these errors can mean deficiencies that mean the child will not develop properly. One example of this is DiGeorge syndrome, which is caused when a part of the DNA is missing. The symptoms are often mild and many people with the condition will go on to live relatively normal lives, but the effects can be more profound for others.

1. Cause

DiGeorge syndrome is caused by a fault in the patients genetic code. The problem is known as 22q11 deletion. In the vast majority of cases, the problem has occurred due to the corresponding part of DNA being missing from the fathers sperm or the mothers egg. Neither parent is at fault when this happens. In some cases, the problem occurs because it has been passed on by a parent. This is also usually not either parents fault because somebody can have the condition and not be aware. In many cases, the symptoms are so mild that the patient lives a normal life without realizing that they have DiGeorge syndrome.