Re: 31 week gestational problems

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Don't fret. The problem with ultrasound is that they are getting so good at it that we are detecting more and more problems.

The story is as follows. As ultrasound gets better subspecialist fetal medicine units detect new abnormalities. As these units see high risk pregnancies there is a report that these abnormalities such as 2 vessels, choriod plexus cysts, etc are associated with chromosomal abnormalities. Once fetal medicine units start detecting them, then routine scan units do. Then we realise that they are relatively common in the normal population.

With respect to 2 vessels. In the past there have been associations with other fetal abnormalities. However, we now know that there is only a very tiny increased risk of abnormalities compared to other women and we only even offer an amniocentesis when there are other things up. In your case you have renal pelvis dilatation.

I review all the scan reports in a hospital that delivers 3000 babies a year. Every week I get 2 or 3 new cases of renal pelvis dilatation and 2 vessel cords. I discuss them with the paediatricians on a weekly basis and we don't get excited.

The main problem with renal pelvis dilatation is something called 'reflux' in a child and this is treatable when a baby is born (I had it as a child and it didn't stop me going to medical school).

In summary, a 2 vessel cord puts you at a very small increased risk of a major fetal abnormality. The underlying risk for all women is 2% but ultrasound picks up 75% of them and an amniocentesis picks up 99.99% of all chromosome problems. Therefore, statistically you have a greater than a 99% chance of have a lovely normal healthy baby which is greater than if you had no ultrasound scan in the first place.

--
Dr Thomas Ind MB BS MD MRCOG
St George Hospital
Kogarah
Sydney
NSW 2217
AUSTRALIA

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• In reply to: Alice: "31 week gestational problems"