The American Academy of Pediatrics has updated its guidance on how medical professionals should manage children with trisomy 13 and trisomy 18. These are genetic conditions caused by having an extra chromosome and can be diagnosed during pregnancy or after birth.
New possibilities for newborns with these genetic disorders
For babies born with these trisomy conditions in the past, survival beyond the newborn period was not thought to be possible. Because of this, intensive care and corrective surgery for commonly associated malformations were typically not offered.
While the mortality rate for trisomy 13 and 18 remains high, advances in medical technology and an evolving understanding of patient outcomes have broadened options available to families. New research shows that some infants with trisomy 13 and trisomy 18 can survive into childhood and longer if they have interventions such as heart surgery to decrease the impact of congenital heart disease.
Comfort care & medically appropriate treatment options
Regardless of where families seek such interventions after a diagnosis of trisomy 13 or 18, the AAP states, medical teams should work with them to understand their goals for their child's care. They should explore the range of care approaches including comfort care and medically appropriate treatment options. Children born with Trisomy 13 and 18 should be treated with the same amount of care and consideration as any other child with a complex, life-limiting diagnosis, whether they are expected to survive for days, months, or years.
The clinical report "Guidance for Caring for Infants and Children With Trisomy 13 and Trisomy 18," is published in the August 2025
Pediatrics.
AAP clinical reports are written by medical experts, reflect the latest evidence in the field, and go through several rounds of peer review before being approved by the AAP Board of Directors and published in Pediatrics.
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