What causes DiGeorge syndrome?

What causes DiGeorge syndrome?

Tissue that forms abnormally during a baby’s development causes DiGeorge syndrome. In most cases, this congenital (present at birth) disability occurs when a small piece of chromosome 22 is missing.

The affected part of chromosome 22 includes dozens of genes related to the development of several systems in the body. When part of this chromosome is missing, related organs and systems don’t develop normally.

In a small number of cases, DiGeorge syndrome is hereditary (passed from a parent to a child). Most of the time the gene mutation (change) that causes DiGeorge syndrome happens randomly.