20 Symptoms and Causes of Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome

EDS — short for Ehlers-Danlos syndromes — describe a group of connective tissue disorders that are most often genetic. The symptoms associated with these disorders could include abnormal scar formation, stretchy skin, and loose joints.

These symptoms will likely be noticed early in the development of the child and possibly even at birth in some cases. Some complications that could arise as a consequence of the disorder include scoliosis, osteoarthritis, chronic pain, joint dislocations, and aortic dissection. These disorders are caused by a mutation in a specific gene out of over a dozen in the group.

The gene that is affected will determine which type of EDS develops. There are some cases in which the EDS is caused by a new mutation that occurred early in the developmental process whereas other cases of EDS are inherited in a recessive manner. Whether it’s due to a mutation or inherited, the EDS will lead to defective processing of collagen structures.

1. Hereditary

Various varieties of Ehlers-Danlos syndrome are associated with genetic causes. Some of these are inherited, passed from the parent to the child. The odds of two parents to mutually pass the altered gene and give birth to a child with the disorder is 25% for each pregnancy. The odds of having the child who is a carrier just like the parents are half with each pregnancy.

The odds of a child receiving normal genes from both of their parents is 25%. The risk of inheritance does not change by gender and is exactly the same for both females and males. Historically, some parents believed that the disorders were more likely to be passed onto sons than daughters, but modern medicine has since debunked that myth through multiple studies conducted with large sample sizes.

Children who are born carries like their parents will hold the same odds of passing the gene to their offspring as their parents did.