My sister went to her 2D ultrasound yesterday and was diagnosed with two vessel cord syndrome or single umbilical artery (SUA). SUA basically means that instead of sharing 3 vessels between mommy and baby that they are only sharing two causing the baby to have access to less blood/oxygen and have 1/2 the ability to clear waste as it should. SUA only occurs in about 1% of pregnancies and is associated with all kinds of birth defects, still birth and death of the baby after birth. The three main problems associated with SUA are heart defects, kidney problems or Trisomy 18.
The doctor told my sister that all of the anatomy looked great and that she is not concerned about chromosomal problems but her ability to detect these things was limited and the biggest concern of all is the size of the baby and the baby's heart because she could not get a clear picture. So far the baby is twice the size it should be, which is great, but the problem seems to be in the later stages of pregnancy when the baby is bigger and the umbilical cord can get compressed. The specialist told her that around half of babies with SUA are born perfectly healthy so there is great hope. My sister has been referred to a high risk specialist and will continue testing over the next few weeks as the baby continues to grow. Unfortunately even with tests there are some heart defects, kidney problems, hearing problems, genitourinary problems and gastrointestinal problems that cannot be detected until after birth, so she may not have a peace of mind until then. SUA babies tend to be born preterm and very low birth weight, so if the baby at any point stops growing they will have to take it out. Please pray that my sister, her husband and her unborn son are counted among the many happy stories that can come from this and that God will grant her peace between now and then.
The doctor told my sister that all of the anatomy looked great and that she is not concerned about chromosomal problems but her ability to detect these things was limited and the biggest concern of all is the size of the baby and the baby's heart because she could not get a clear picture. So far the baby is twice the size it should be, which is great, but the problem seems to be in the later stages of pregnancy when the baby is bigger and the umbilical cord can get compressed. The specialist told her that around half of babies with SUA are born perfectly healthy so there is great hope. My sister has been referred to a high risk specialist and will continue testing over the next few weeks as the baby continues to grow. Unfortunately even with tests there are some heart defects, kidney problems, hearing problems, genitourinary problems and gastrointestinal problems that cannot be detected until after birth, so she may not have a peace of mind until then. SUA babies tend to be born preterm and very low birth weight, so if the baby at any point stops growing they will have to take it out. Please pray that my sister, her husband and her unborn son are counted among the many happy stories that can come from this and that God will grant her peace between now and then.
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