The parents of a child recently diagnosed with Duchenne's muscular dystrophy want to know if their infant twin daughters should be tested for the disease too. Which response by the nurse is the most appropriate?

Question

A.
"No, Duchenne's muscular dystrophy is a sex-linked genetic disorder rarely affecting females."
B.
"No, infants the age of your daughters are too young to undergo testing for Duchenne's muscular dystrophy."
C.
"Yes, the earlier the diagnosis of any type of muscular dystrophy is made, the better the child's quality of life."
D.
"Yes, females are equally likely to have Duchenne's muscular dystrophy as are boys."

Answer 1

ANS: A
Duchenne's muscular dystrophy is a sex-linked recessive disease that usually only affects males. Females with Turner's syndrome, in which the child only inherits one X chromosome from the mother, can be affected, but females are usually carriers. The infant twin daughters do not need to be tested.