Edward’s syndrome (also known as trisomy 18) is a genetic disorder first described by John Houghton Edwards in 1960, and is second only to Down’s syndrome (also known as trisomy 21) in terms of the prevalence of chromosomal triploidy. Edward’s syndrome is caused by the presence of a third chromosome in the 18th set of chromosomes in the cells of a fetus or infant. Special case: Mosaic Edwards syndrome —— A small percentage of cases are caused by the transfer of an extra copy of chromosome 18 to a different chromosome group, sometimes called “mosaic Edwards syndrome (also known as translocation Edwards syndrome)”. In rare cases, an extra copy of chromosome 18 is transferred to another set of chromosomes (translocated), and the person with mosaic Edwards syndrome has two copies of chromosome 18 and another chromosome from group 18 that has been assigned to a different set of chromosomes, and therefore has localized signs of Edward’s syndrome, which has fewer negative consequences than typical Edwards syndrome. The negative impact of mosaic Edwards syndrome is less than that of typical Edwards syndrome. Patient Characteristics: Edward’s Syndrome In cases of Edward’s Syndrome, the signs can vary greatly however, the following abnormalities can be found in patients affected by Edward’s Syndrome (bold is the primary natural cause of death in patients with Edward’s Syndrome and italicized is the outward appearance of the patient with Edward’s Syndrome): Abnormal delay in growth rate Difficulty in ingestion Difficulty in breathing Developmental delays Intellectual disability Male reproductive system Testes partially hidden in the abdominal cavity, which can lead to infertility Protruding head at the back Small cranial malformations Droopy, deformed ears Abnormal small jaws Small mouth Rabbit lips, cleft palate Nose pointing upward Folds in the eyelids (clefts) Wide spaces between the eyes Ptosis of the upper eyelid Overlapping, twisted fingers Underdeveloped thumbs (or missing altogether) Underdeveloped nails between the second and third toe Webbing between the second and third toes Inward curvature of the foot Restricted range of motion of the hips, small pelvis Short sternum Renal disability Structural heart defects at birth (e.g., thin ventricular or atrial septum, or a combination of the aorta and pulmonary arteries), which result in the mixing of oxygen-rich blood with oxygen-poor blood.