If this baby is affected by Down Syndrome, the next pregnancy theoretically should be at higher risk as the mother is getting older. However, it may not always be so. Thus, all future pregnancies should have prenatal testing to confirm the baby’s chromosome. If this pyelectasis baby is normal chromosomally, then the recurrence risk is 6 times in all future pregnancies. Overall, 3% of all chromosomally and structurally normal babies have transient pyelectasis. The dilatation would resolve by itself before birth.

From: Parenthood Magazine May 2008

If the pregnant mother whose baby has pyelectasis is 36 years or older, the baby she carries has 2.2% chance of being Down Syndrome. If the expecting mother is younger than 36 years old, then the chance of her baby being Down Syndrome is only 0.33%. Thus, older expecting mothers would be recommended to undergo amniocentesis (aspiration of the amniotic fluid) to confirm the baby’s chromosomes. Normally is it found on Foetal Anomaly Scan (FA Scan) done between 18 and 23 weeks to check the normality of the baby’s different organs. However, if FA Scan is not performed, it may be just by chance during the routine ultrasound scanning that it is detected.

If the pelvic dilatation is between 4 and 7 mm, it is considered mild. 80% of such cases would resolve by itself before birth. 17% may only resolve to normal after birth and 3% of cases would need long term follow-up. If the dilatation is more than 7 mm, then only 44% may resolve, usually after birth. The rest may have urinary problems like obstruction or reflux (back flow of urine upwards). These cases would need to be further assessed after birth with ultrasound scan, as well as a voiding cystourethrogram, a test used to visualise the urethra and urinary bladder that takes place during micturition (voiding).

From: Parenthood Magazine May 2008

]]> http://dna-laboratories.com/blog/chromosomal-abnormalities/is-your-unborn-baby-at-risk/feed/ http://dna-laboratories.com/blog/pregnancy-baby/fourth-month-of-pregnancy-16-weeks/ http://dna-laboratories.com/blog/pregnancy-baby/fourth-month-of-pregnancy-16-weeks/#comments Sat, 17 May 2008 04:53:19 +0000 admin http://dna-laboratories.com/blog/pages/fourth-month-of-pregnancy-16-weeks/ During this period of time, the baby’s face is starting to look more human. His/Her eye moving closer together, toes and finger clearly seperated, eyelids, eyebrows, eyelashes, nails and hair are formed. Teeth and bones become denser. The intestine will also shifting into their proper place. Ear shifting from the neck to the side of the head. Your baby can even suck his or her thumb, yawn, stretch and make faces.

The nervous and muscle system is starting to function. He/She beginning to respond to outside stimuli. If mommy’s abdomen is poked, the fetus will try to wriggle away. The reproductive organs and genitalia are now fully developed and you may know your baby’s sex; boy or a girl by using ultrasound. The baby’s heartbeat may now be audible through an instrument called a Doppler.

From http://www.webmd.com/solutions/sc/pregnancy-week-by-week/weeks13-16

External genitalia begin to differentiate, though it’s still very difficult to tell whether the baby is a girl or a boy without genetic screening. The baby moves from being an embryo to the fetal period, now called a fetus. S/he also loses their tail!

Refered from :http://pregnancy.about.com

The baby’s lungs mature more slowly and newborns of diabetic women have increased risk of respiratory distress syndrome, hypoglycaemia (low blood sugar), low calcium and high bilirubin levels in the blood. These substances are routinely measured in babies of diabetic mother. (Bilirubin is the waste product that results from the breakdown of haemoglobin molecules from worn out red blood cells. It is excreted from the body as the main component of bile. Excessive levels of bilirubin turn the skin yellow. Very high levels of bilirubin in the bloodstream can cause permanent brain damage in newborn infants.)

Effects of Diabetes on the Mother:                              

• High blood pressure, pre-eclampsia.                                        
• Worsening kidney damage.

• Worsening retinopathy (eye damage).                                       

• Urinary tract and other infections.
• Polyhydramnions (increased liquor).
• Malpresentation, premature labour (increased possibility).
• Instrumental delivery (increased possibility).
• Caesarean births (increased possibility).

Effects of Diabetes on the Baby:

• Macrosomia (big baby).                                       
• Growth restriction (problems with growth).           
• Birth defects.                                                                               
• Stillbirths.                                                                 
• Respiratory distress syndrome.
• Glucose (lower level).
• Calcium (lower level).
• Bilirubin (higher level).                                        
• 2% risk of diabetes by age 20 if only mother has diabetes; 5% if father alone has diabetes.    

Based on Is My Pregnancy Normal?, Dr.Patrick Chia & Dr. S. Raman, 2005, Discern Publishing House Sdn. Bhd.

Changes in baby:

Baby’s head will be quite big, due to the rapid growth of the brain. The upper limbs resemble paddles. Baby’s heart begins to separate into four chambers, and blood is circulating throughout the body. Intestines form within the umbilical cord, but will later migrate back into the abdominal cavity. In the next few days, foot plates, with the beginnings of toe rays, will appear. The external ears are now present. The baby is now 10 to 13 millimeters long — about the size of a cherry. The cells that will become either testes or ovaries arrive, but there is no obvious sign of gender yet. Muscle contractions are beginning, but these early “movements” are not yet perceptible.

Based on http://www.babycenter.com

The NT test uses ultrasound to measure the clear (translucent) space in the tissue at the back of your developing baby’s neck. Babies with abnormalities tend to accumulate more fluid at the back of their neck during the first trimester, causing this clear space to be larger than average.

The NT scan must be done when you’re between 11 and 14 weeks pregnant. (The last day you can have it done is the day youturn 13 weeks and 6 das pregnant). It’s usually offered along with a blood test in what’s known as first trimester combined sreening.

Like other screening tests, an NT scan won’t give you a diagnosis. But it can assess your baby’s risk for certain problems and help you decide whether you want to have chorionic villous smpling (CVS) or amniocentesis to find out whether your baby is actually affected.

The NT scan has been performed in the United States since 1995, mostly at large medical centers. Ultrasound technicians (sonographers) and doctors need special training and high-resolution ultrasound equipment to perform it correctly. They must be certified by the Fetal Medicine Foundation in London, the organization that sets the international standards and provides the software that enables a doctor to evaluate your baby’s risk. Therefore the nuchal scan will provide the following information:

• Accurate assessment of gestational age and hence verifying the expected date of delivery.

• Assessment of the risk of Down’s Syndrome by NT measurement and the presence or absence of the nasal bone.

• Detection of certain major foetal abnormlities.

• Foetal viability - About 3 per cent of pregnancies fail to carry on when scanned during this time. The diagnosis is made when no foetal heart movement is seen on ultrasound scan.

• Determine the number of foetuses as multiple pregnancies need closer monitoring.

http://www.babycenter.com/0_nuchal-translucency-screening_118.bc

Since these tests are “invasive”, i.e. they involve sampling with a needle or small cannula (tubing), there is a procedure-related risk of miscarriage between 0.5 and 1.0 per cent.

Amniocentesis

This is the commonest of the three specialized tests and involves drawing some amniotic fluid that surrounds the baby for analysis. This test is done under ultrasound guidance, using a long, narrow needle. It can be performed from 15 weeks onwards. The results usually take about 8-10 days to be ready. The risk of miscarriage is 0.5 per cent, over and above the normal risk of miscarriage. Amniocentesis is commonly performed to check for chromosomal abnormalities in women over the age of 35, those with positive triple test or when an abnormality is found on ultrasound scan.

Chorionic Villous Sampling (CVS)

Chorionic villous sampling is essentially a biopsy, where a piece of tissue is taken from the placenta. This can be done earlier, usually from 10-12 weeks of pregnancy. Placental tissue contains cells, which are similar genetically to the baby, is sent for analysis. Depending on where the placenta is situated, CVS can either be done through the trans-abdominal or trans-cervical (through the neck of the womb) route. It is associated with a slightly higher risk of miscarriage, between 0.5 and 1.0 per cent, and can be done earlier compared to an amniocentesis. Women with increased risk of chromosomal abnormalities (those above 35 years of age) and genetic diseases (such as ?- and ß-Thalassaemia) may be offered a CVS.

Based on Dr. Patrick Chia & Dr. S. Raman, Is My Pregnancy Normal?, Discern Publishing House, 2005.

      1                         2                    3                        4                         5

1) Ovulation Occurs

The time is right; now you just need this egg to be fertilized! Did you know that during your

pregnancy that your uterus will increase its capacity by 1000 times?

2) Gender Determined

Immediately upon fertilization your little one is set as a boy or a girl. Ladies, this is one that you can’t

take credit for since it is up to the sperm to determine the sex of your baby. Sperm carries

either a “X” (girl) chromosome or a “Y” (boy) chromosome.

3) Implantation

Implantation bleeding (spotting) may occur about 10 - 14 days after conception. You may believe you are starting

your period but generally this bleeding is extremely light and lasts only day or so.

4) Neutral tube forms

It will develop into the nervous system (Brain, spinal cord, hair and skin). Already your baby has the foundation for

though, sense, feeling and more!

5) Heart and primitive circulatory system form

While still in its beginning stages, this is the very life support system that will carry your child throughout his or her

life.

However, improvements in ultrasound and blood tests now mean that women can have effective for Down syndrome carried out earlier in the pregnancy and without any possible risks of miscarriage being induced by the test.

A major new study headed by an Irish consultant has shown that over 95% of Down syndrome cases can now be detected in early pregnancy. Results of the study published in the New England Journal of Medicine demonstrate that new ultrasound and blood tests are now widely available that can detect over 95% of cases of Down syndrome as early as 10 to 12 weeks into a pregnancy.

Over 38,000 pregnant women were provided with a range of ultrasound and blood screening tests at 10 to 13 weeks and then at 15 to 18 weeks gestation. The study found that screening in the first three months of a pregnancy provided a detection rate of Down syndrome of up to 87%, and that other combinations of screening produced a detection rate of 96%.

Traditional tests for Down syndrome, chorionic villus sampling or amniocentesis, both carry a small risk of miscarriage. Women who are interested in the reassurance that these tests provide should be asking their doctors or midwives for early access to combined ultrasound and blood tests. There are technical challenges for health professionals in performing the special ultrasounds involved properly, as measurements that are off by even a fraction of a millimetre can give very inaccurate results.

For further reading go to http://medmediacampaign.com