Abstract
It is known that newborns with a variety of chromosomal disorders are subnormal in weight for gestational age at birth but their growth disturbance has received little attention, major consideration having been directed toward the characteristic organ and body malformations. The present study was designed to explore the prenatal growth disturbance in such infants. Using line sampling, planimetry and other quantitative, histologic methods, this intrauterine growth disturbance was found due to a subnormal number of cells in many body organs in six neonates with trisomy D1, eight with trisomy E and 21 newborn mongoloid infants. Each of the three trisomic disorders appears to have a rather characteristic growth pattern in individual organs. The spleen, kidneys, and adrenals are relatively enlarged in infants with trisomy D1; a pattern not found in neonates with a wide variety of other disorders associated with intrauterine growth retardation. Newborns with trisomy E have relatively large hearts while spleen, adrenals, and thymus are small for body weight. Newborn mongoloid infants have relatively large hearts and spleens while their livers, kidneys, adrenals and thymus glands are small for body weight. Disparate growth of individual cell lines in the various organs is responsible for these abnormalities in growth. Both a slowed rate of cell multiplication and a shortened lifespan of some cells may contribute to the growth disorders. (SPR)
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Naeye, R., Lucey, J. 27 Abnormal Organ and Cellular Growth with Various Chromosomal Disorders. Pediatr Res 1, 207 (1967). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-196705000-00034
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-196705000-00034