Three new cases of Desbuquois syndrome in two brothers and a sporadic male, all of whom died in early infancy, are presented to emphasize the high rate (33 %) of lethality in this variable, but serious skeletal dysplasia. Including the three presented patients and 10 of the 36 cases in the literature who died, most did so between birth and 7 months and from respiratory-related problems. Neonatal and infancy survivors should be monitored closely, particularly relative to their pulmonary status.