Introduction

More About Turner Syndrome: www.turnersyndrome.org/about-turnersyndrome
SPANISH Turner Syndrome Resource: www.turnersyndrome.org/spanish-resources

Turner syndrome is named after Henry Turner, an American doctor.  He was the first to identify features of girls with the syndrome in 1938.  Turner syndrome is caused by a missing X chromosome or a missing part of one of the X chromosomes that affect physical sex development, height, and other characteristics. 

What does it mean if the doctor says your daughter has short stature caused by Turner syndrome?
It means your child is shorter than average for her age group.

There are many reasons for a child to be shorter than average.  In some cases, a child is short simply because being short runs in the family.  In other cases, a child may be short because of a genetic disorder that affects growth.  If your daughter is shorter than average, she may be seen by an endocrinologist.  This doctor is a specialist who is trained to diagnose and treat children with growth problems.  An endocrinologist will perform an evaluation to find the cause of short stature.  If there is a medical condition, the doctor can suggest medicines that may help the child grow.

Children with Turner syndrome usually have other medical issues in addition to short stature.  This means more than one doctor may be involved in managing your chid's condition.

What causes Turner syndrome?

The entire body is made of tiny units called cells.  Inside each cell are 23 pairs of chromosomes.  Chromosomes contain a person's genes.  Genes control traits like hair or eye color and are passed down from generation to generation.  One of these pairs of chromosomes controls a person's sex.  These are the sex chromosomes.  In males, this pair contains an X and a Y chromosome: XY.  In females, this pair contains two X chromosomes: XX.