Symptoms
Symptoms of Turner syndrome may vary depending on the conditions:
- Prenatal ultrasound of a baby with Turner syndrome may show large fluid collection on the back of the neck or other abnormal fluid collections (edema), heart abnormalities, or abnormal kidneys.
- Signs of Turner syndrome at birth or during infancy may include:
- Wide or weblike neck
- Low-set ears
- Broad chest with widely spaced nipples
- High, narrow roof of the mouth (palate)
- Arms that turn outward at the elbows
- Fingernails and toenails that are narrow and turned upward
- Swelling of the hands and feet, especially at birth
- Slightly smaller than average height at birth
- Slowed growth
- Cardiac defects
- Low hairline at the back of the head
- Receding or small lower jaw
- Short fingers and toes
- Symptoms occur by birth or gradually during childhood, the teen years or young adulthood may include:
- Slowed growth
- No growth spurts at expected times in childhood
- Adult height significantly less than might be expected for a female member of the family
- Failure to begin sexual changes expected during puberty
- Sexual development that “stalls” during teenage years
- Early end to menstrual cycles not due to pregnancy
- For most women with Turner syndrome, inability to conceive a child without fertility treatment
Risk factors
The loss or alteration of the X chromosome occurs randomly. A problem with the sperm or the egg may lead to it. It may also happens early in fetal development. It is not inherited either.
