18th Cromosome

Wanted to share some pictures of Little Joe our new grandson. He is now five weeks old. He has 18th cromosome Q which is a small portion of the long arm of the 18th cromosome missing. I will report on this condition as I learn more. Joe was born with a cleft palate that we know of. Cardiologist reports that the heart murmur is not an issue. The Orthopedic Doctor says the feet are not the classic case of club feet. He believes the minor deformity of the feet is caused from the position in the womb. They are looking better every time I see him. Cleft lips and palates are more common in babies with 18q-. The palate is the roof of the mouth. Sometimes the palate does not form correctly during development. This results in an opening in the roof of the mouth. A cleft lip occurs when the tissue that forms the upper lip does not fuse during prenatal development. Cleft lip and palate may lead to dental, hearing, speech, and feeding problems.
In most cases, a team of professionals is involved in the management of cleft lip and palate. This team may include surgeons, speech pathologists, dentists, audiologists, geneticists, and other professionals. To locate a team in your area, contact the Cleft Palate Foundation.
We saw Joe this morning and I got to hold and feed him. This little guy is looking more and more like his big sister Gracie. The Characteristics of 18Q are many and so as time goes on we will no more. Having faith and trust in the Lord is comforting.