A baby girl is admitted to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit
shortly after birth. It was noted at delivery that the child had
widely spaced nipples and webbing of the neck. Further evaluation
noted a heart murmur, edematous feet, and difficulty palpating or
locating the pulse in the groin. An echocardiogram is ordered, and
the child is diagnosed with coarctation of the aorta (a narrowing
of the aorta that causes the left ventricle of the heart to pump
against higher resistance, which can lead to heart failure). As a
result of the nature of the symptoms, a geneticist is consulted and
the newborn is diagnosed with Turner syndrome. The family meets
with the physicians to discuss the ramifications of this
diagnosis