Trisomy 13 , also called Patau syndrome , is a chromosomal condition associated with severe intellectual disability and physical abnormalities in many parts of the body . Individuals with trisomy 13 often have heart defects , brain or spinal cord abnormalities , very small or poorly developed eyes microphthalmia , extra fingers or toes , an opening in the lip a cleft lip with or without an opening in the roof of the mouth a cleft palate , and weak muscle tone hypotonia . Due to the presence of several lifethreatening medical problems , many infants with trisomy 13 die within their first days or weeks of life . Only five percent to 10 percent of children with this condition live past their first year . She very much made the right choice , it would be possibly even more heart breaking to bring the baby into this world and lose himher after monthsyears of caring .