Fetal Syndromes: Diagnosis, Treatment, and Outcomes

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Fetal Syndromes Diagnosis, Treatment, and
Outcomes
By The Doctor Weighs In
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• Every year, millions of expectant parents
  celebrate the imminent arrival of their new
  family members with baby showers and parties. In
  fact, nearly 4 million babies were born in the
  United States in 2018, the most recent year for
  which the CDC has published data.

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Pregnancy Complications

• According to the CDC, congenital abnormalities
  fall within the category of fetal syndromes.
  Their presence classifies a pregnancy as high
  risk.
• Related content Toxic Chemicals are a Threat to
  the Health of our Children

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Diagnosing Fetal Syndromes

• Women typically have an ultrasound scheduled
  around their fifth month into the pregnancy (20
  weeks of gestation). This scan serves several
  purposes, including learning the babys gender.
• It also helps the doctor detect abnormalities
  with blood flow, and organ and bone development,
  to name a few areas of interest. Fetal syndromes
  are generally detected at 17-24 weeks gestation.

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The Most Common Fetal Syndromes

• In this article, we discuss some of the most
  common fetal syndromes, as well as treatment
  options and possible outcomes.

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Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia

• Congenital diaphragmatic hernia makes up about 8
  of all major birth defects. It is caused by
  either a hole in the diaphragm or the absence of
  the diaphragm.

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Fetal Hydrops

• This prenatal ultrasound shows a large collection
  of fluid around the lungs (black space between
  the chest wall and the lungs). (Photo source
  supplied by the author).

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Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome (HLHS)

• HLHS is a complex and severe congenital heart
  defect in which the structures of the left heart
  (left ventricle) are very small (hypoplastic). 
  Or, they may not be formed at all.

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Lower Urinary Tract Obstruction (LUTO)

• LUTO is a rare condition that is caused by a
  blockage of fetal urination. Typically, this
  occurs in male fetuses.
• Because the baby cannot empty the bladder, the
  bladder subsequently becomes very large and
  inflated. Also, because the amniotic fluid is
  essentially composed of the babys urine beyond
  the middle of the second trimester, the bag of
  waters dries up.

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Selective Intrauterine Growth Restriction (SIUGR)

• SIUGR is a potential problem that may occur in
  mono-chorionic twins. These types of identical
  twins are derived from one egg (monozygotic).
  They share a placenta. which is common in 80 to
  85 in all monozygotic twins). 

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Twin-to-Twin Transfusion Syndrome (TTTS)

• TTTS is a disease of the placenta that affects
  pregnancies with monochorionic twins (shared
  placenta in monozygotic/identical twins).
  Essentially, blood passes disproportionately from
  one baby to the other through connecting blood
  vessels within their shared placenta.

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Twin Reversed Arterial Perfusion Sequence (TRAPS)

• TRAPS is a serious complication of mono-chorionic
  twins (monozygotic/identical twins that share a
  placenta). Blood is perfused from one twin
  (pump twin) to the other twin who is acardiac
  (without a heart) The blood flow is retrograde (
  or backward). That means that the acardiac twin
  receives deoxygenated (oxygen-depleted) arterial
  blood from the pump twin in the wrong direction.

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Maternal-Fetal Care Centers

• At specialized maternal-fetal care centers, both
  moms and babies are provided with the best care
  possible. Most babies are delivered and receive
  the necessary care in the maternity ward of a
  local hospital. Babies that are diagnosed with
  fetal health syndrome, however, require special
  care.
• Maternal-Fetal Care Centers provide specialized
  and coordinated care for both mother and baby
  before, during, and after complicated pregnancies.

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Fetal Surgery

• Fetal surgery is a highly complex surgical
  intervention to mitigate birth defects while
  babies are still in the womb. It allows doctors
  to treat serious and life-threatening conditions
  and stop progressive damage, while also keeping
  the baby in utero long enough to grow and develop.

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About The Fetal Health Foundation

• In addition, FHF funds research, increases
  awareness, and serves as an outlet for leading
  medical information pertaining to fetal
  conditions and syndromes. To learn more
  visit www.fetalhealthfoundation.org.

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Get in Touch
The Doctor Weighs In Author Talitha
McGuinness Click Here To Read The Full Article
https//thedoctorweighsin.com/fetal-syndromes/ We
bsite https//thedoctorweighsin.com/ Email
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