Today is National Trisomy Awareness Day. Below are 10 important facts on Trisomy 18.

• It is also known as Edwards Syndrome
• It is a condition caused by an error in cell division
• An extra chromosome in 18 develops
• Occurs in 1 out of every 2500 pregnancies in the United States
• It is 1 in 6000 live births
• Only 50% of babies who are carried to term will be born alive
• Children are often born with heart defects
• Features include a small head, small jaw, clenched fists and severe intellectual disabilities
• It is named after John Hilton Edwards, who first described the syndrome in 1960
• It affects different organ systems