What are the causes of Prader-Willi syndrome?
Prader-Willi syndrome is brought about by abnormalities which affect chromosome 15; in the majority of cases, the syndrome is caused when the inherited chromosome from the male parent is deleted. Other possible abnormalities include having an additional chromosome 15 (the inheritance of two chromosome 15s) by way of the mother, rather than having one from each of the parents. In rare cases, people have translocation or imprinted abnormalities, which also affect chromosome 15.
With most cases, the error occurs at conception and is unknown why some people inherit the condition and others don’t. The abnormalities are in no way determined consciously by the parents; parents should not feel guilty about the irregularities because there is nothing they could have done to prevent them from occurring.
Prader-Willi syndrome
Birth Defects Guide
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- Metabolic Disorders
- Degenerative Disorders