Washington, September 11 : A collaborative study has revealed a submicroscopic aberration in a particular region of human chromosome 1q21.1 that is associated with a variety of developmental disorders in children.
Dr. Heather C. Mefford, acting assistant professor of Paediatrics at the University of Washington, and Dr. Andrew J. Sharp of the University of Geneva Medical School in Switzerland say that the aberration can manifest itself as unexplained mild or moderate mental retardation, growth retardation, learning disabilities, seizures, autism, heart defects, other congenital abnormalities, cataracts, small head size, unusual facial features, hand deformities, or skeletal problems.