In a building project of this magnitude, accomplished in only 9 months, it's a wonder that major things don't go wrong every time. It can happen as a result of alcohol consumption during pregnancy. These children sometimes have rather small mouths, rather widely spaced eyes and low-set ears, but the three classic defects of the DiGeorge anomaly are all focused in the area behind the breastbone. Surgical correction or stabilization of these is the first priority. Disasters have occurred, though, when only the cardiac problem was diagnosed and the possibility of the DiGeorge anomaly was not considered.
Seizures are the next concern.
The parathyroid glands regulate the amount of calcium in the bloodstream. When they are absent or deficient, calcium can fall to dangerously low levels. This can cause severe seizures or even death, typically in the first or second month of life. If babies survive the heart problems and seizures of the first several months, they begin to display an increased susceptibility to infections such as pneumonia, infectious diarrhea, and severe thrush. This immunodeficiency is the long, difficult battle of the DiGeorge anomaly.