Trisomy Awareness Month, observed in March and sponsored by the Support Organization for Trisomy 18, 13 and Related Disorders, raises awareness about trisomy conditions and the challenges these conditions may pose to individuals and families. Research on these conditions — from their origins, to mechanisms and treatment — plays an important role in the lives of these individuals and families.

Trisomy Awareness Month helps to educate people about trisomy disorders. Most people have 23 pairs of chromosomes in most or all of their cells for a total of 46 chromosomes. These chromosomes include DNA and other material that provide a blueprint for “building” a person.

Some people have trisomy conditions, those related to having an extra chromosome in most or all of their cells, for a total of 47 chromosomes. An extra chromosome can cause a variety of health problems ranging from mild intellectual and developmental disability, to severe physical problems. Most of the time, trisomy conditions are not passed from one generation to the next, but result from a random error that occurs during cell division very early on in development.

Trisomy can occur with any chromosome, but the most well-known syndromes are: Trisomy 21 (Down Syndrome), Trisomy 18 (Edwards Syndrome) and Trisomy 13 (Patau Syndrome).