CHARGE syndrome is a disorder that affects many areas of the body. CHARGE is an abbreviation for several of the features common in the disorder: coloboma, heart defects, atresia choanae (also known as choanal atresia), growth retardation, genital abnormalities, and ear abnormalities. CHARGE syndrome occurs in approximately 1 in 8,500 to 10,000 newborns.Mutations in the CHD7 gene cause most cases of CHARGE syndrome.