Congenital, inborn defects can be either inherited or non-inherited in nature. Inherited defects are genetic and inherited from the parents. The child inherits half of its genes from the father and the other half from its mother. If a fetus inherits a defective gene, it can develop disease.
Non-inherited congenital defects are acquired during intrauterine development. These types of defects can be caused by various factors such as irradiation, medicines or viral infections that act during the first trimester or pregnancy.
In the case of DORV, the defective gene has not been 100% identified and verified. It is believed that a chromosomal anomaly, or absence, of the 22nd chromosome could be the reason for DORV but there is not yet enough proof for this theory. If either parent carries the chromosomal defect, there are chances that the next child will have DORV, too.
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