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Arthrogryposis

Inheritance patterns and prenatal diagnosis

Inheritance patterns
All types of inheritance may be implicated, including chromosomal problems. The family tree may provide clues to how the condition is inherited or passed down through the family. Even after the baby is born it may be difficult to make a specific diagnosis but it is still important that each child is assessed on an individual basis. In this way they can be given the support they need to reach their full potential at each stage of their development.

Prenatal diagnosis
If the specific genetic change that has caused the problems is known, then it may be possible to look for this in subsequent pregnancies by chorionic villus sampling (CVS) or amniocentesis. This is likely to be possible in only a very small minority of cases.

Ultrasound scanning later in the pregnancy may detect contractures or a decrease in fetal movements but it may not be possible to be sure of how severely the baby is likely to be affected.

View How is it treated? How is it treated?  |  Is there support? View Is there support?

Medical text written October 1999 by TAG (The Arthrogrypsosis Group). Approved October 1999 by Dr C Pollitt. Last updated October 2004 by Dr C Pollitt, Specialist Registrar in Clinical Genetics, School of Biochemistry and Genetics, University of Newcastle, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK.

 

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