Trisomy 18

I wish I had more time to blog, but school is really taking up a lot of my time lately. I want to be caught up and ahead by the time Ella comes, so I'm working extra hard. Besides that, my astronomy class has gotten a lot harder. I have a really low B right now, and if I can pull a C out of it, I will be happy. On a good note, though, I have As in all my other classes, and a perfect score in history.

Today, I had to do a three page Internet activity for my developmental psychology class. It was over birth defects and genetic counseling. The first sheet required us to go to the March of Dimes Web site, and we had to identify three birth defects or disorders. I thought I would definitely do Trisomy 18, since I know so much about it. Imagine my surprise when it didn't have its own category. Instead, it was lumped in with Down Syndrome and other chromosomal disorders. Down Syndrome had its own category though.

I realize Down Syndrome is much more common than Trisomy 18, and I know they are related to each other. But, I still think a defect that affects one in 3,000 pregnancies and one in 6,000 births should have its own category on the March of Dimes Web site. So, I went ahead and included it as one disorders I could describe. I knew all about it anyway, even if the information the March of Dimes gave was a little less than detailed.

From the list of three, I had to pick one to go into greater detail about, so of course, I chose Trisomy 18. I was glad to do it, and I even told the professor that I had personal experience with it as we lost a baby to it last year.

So, I'm wondering if I should write to the March of Dimes and ask them to give Trisomy 18 its own category. I think it deserves it, and I'm beginning to think it's a lot more common than previously thought. I mean, I find tons of blogs from families who are affected, and there are quite a few on Baby Center who have been affected, too.