Turner Syndrome Awareness Month
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February is Turner Syndrome Awareness Month. My daughter, the baby of the family, was diagnosed with Turner Syndrome when she was 6 months old. It has been a struggle for her since the day she was born. She is amazingly strong.
So in an effort to help bring awareness to this disorder I am sharing a little about it with you all today!
Turner syndrome (TS) is a non-inherited chromosomal disorder that affects one in 2,000 female births. There are approximately 70,000 women, girls and babies affected with TS in the United States.
TS is a variable condition but common conditions include:
- Delayed puberty
- Heart defects
- Puffy hands and feet (especially at birth)
- Infertility due to nonfunctional ovaries
- Kidney, thyroid and liver concerns
- Hearing loss
- Recurring ear infections
- Learning difficulties (i.e. math) with normal intelligence
- Scoliosis
- Social difficulties
Plus common traits such as:
- Short stature (under 5 feet)
- Webbed neck
- Many moles
- Low-set ears
- Receding lower jaw
Turner syndrome can be diagnosed throughout the lifespan – it can be found prenatally with an amniocentesis or into adulthood with a blood test called a karyotype. It is believed that half of all diagnoses are pre-teens or older. Continued advancements in growth hormone and estrogen replacement therapy have allowed females to keep up with “normal” growth and puberty better than ever before.
