Pregnancy Complications (VSD, SUA)

"Ashirus" usenet-replyATashirusnwNO_SPAM.freeserve.co.ukDeleteFollo wrote in message ...
Hi. My wife is pregnant with her first child. I'm 22, she's 20, she's now in
her 30th week and the 21st wk ultrasound found that she has a single
umbilical artery (SUA) and so we were told to get a foetal echocardiography.
This was performed yesterday and the foetus was discovered to have 2 to 3
Ventricular Septal Defects (VSD) of "small-to-moderate" size:

to quote the relevant bit of his report:
"Normal right and left ventricular size and function, 2-3 muscular VSDs - A
3mm apical, 2mm mid-muscular and possibly another 1mm mid-high muscular VSD.
6MMHG shunt is seen (no PS)."
the rest of his report reports everything's fine.

The doctor said that this may be a sign of one of the "syndromes".

The 21st week ultrasound revealed no other defects or deformities, so we
want to know what the chances of the child being born being with a syndrome
is, given these factors? Is the doctor right? Should we worry?

Does anyone know the chances of this number (2-3) of defects of these sizes
at this "age" closing spontaneously either before or after birth?

(We won't do an "amniocentesis" because of the small chance of
miscarriage and because we wouldn't consider an abortion whatever the
circumstances.)
thanks,
Ash.


Like many of the other posters, I really wish I could give you some
information. I'd press the doctors for better explanations and
prognosis, and ask them where you can find more informtion (books,
articles). I know that the terminology is unlike any other, and
depending on the exact heart problem, the internet doesn't seem to
have alot of informtion that is *easily* readable.

For what it's worth, I can understand some of what you are feeling.
Last Friday (28 weeks), at what was supposed to be a quick checkup (I
was primarily at my doc's for my glucose test), my doctor detected an
irregular heartbeat. About an hour later, I was at a perinatologist's
office having an ultrasound/foetal echocardiography. My results are at
the other spectrum. There are no structural defects, and everything
else looks normal, but the baby's heartbeat is irregular. I'm
scheduled for another foetal echocardiography on the 18th for
comparison. The doctor seemed very hopeful, but could really only say
that we'd have to wait and see what the results will be then. It could
get better(go away), stay the same, or get worse. Prognosis, if it
doesn't get worse, is for a normal delivery (apparently they can map
the heartbeat for comparison during labor), and for the baby to be
checked out after delivery, and depending on what happens then,
continued checkups(options for correction are more involved than I'll
go into here, since they don't involve what you are going through).
All I can really do until then is stay aware of the baby's
movements/activity and call if I notice a marked decrease/cessation.
This is my second child, so I have some frame of reference for
movement/activity. I'm sure after the next appointment I'll get more
answers, or know better what questions to ask. Maybe even get a second
opinion.

Not knowing what is going on and what the possible options are is
nerve wracking, I know. You have the opportunity to know more than I
do at the moment...press those doctors for more information. Get a
second opinion if you aren't comfortable with the doctors you are
seeing or they are unable to communicate with you. You are your
child's advocate.

I wish you all the best. Let us know what the outcome is.

aml