My sister has just been told that her baby has 19cm of fluid on his brain, they are recommending an abortion. Has or does anyoneknow anyone who has suffered with this?
And what quality of life would the baby have?
Any advice welcome ~x~
2007-02-07 02:01:59 · 6 answers · asked by janetlouise24 4 in Pregnancy & Parenting ➔ Other - Pregnancy & Parenting
There are several factors to consider with hydrocephalus. First, if the baby is diagnosed with having it in-utero, it means the condition will get worse throughout the whole pregnancy. the baby's brain may have trouble developing due to having no space. Second, without treatment, it is almost always fatal, so most likely she will need surgery before or the baby will need it immediately after birth. The third, most important point is that when a child has hydrocephalus, it is also likely that they have spina bifida, which is another condition that affects whether or not the baby will ever walk or live without the assistance of others. I think your sister should get a couple of more opinions, however doctors are not in the business of getting women to have abortions so I'm pretty sure the prognosis for the baby is pretty poor. I will be praying for her.
2007-02-07 02:11:18 · answer #1 · answered by Marcela A 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋
She should get a second opinion at the very least and by a physician who specializes in the care of babies and others with this problem. I had a neighbor born with this same birth defect. She is wonderful! ANd she's in her 20's now. She leads a normal life and NO one can tell she has it. The doctor placed a permanent shunt in her brain to drain the water. There may be different cases, more servere, or some other factor we are not aware of. I also know an older man (in his 40's) with a permanent shunt in his head as well leading a very normal practical life. If it's a boy there will be no football. But my neighbor did play t-ball, softball, soccor, etc. I suppose ppl may say that if you have a chance to not have a handicapped child...blagh blagh blagh...but hydrocephalus isn't what it use to be now days. The shunt let the two I know about lead good normal lives. Does your sister have the financial means to take care of such a child? Is this her first? As a baby there will be greater risk involved. Hope this helps a bit. I know that when my neighbor was in her teens she had a "bad spell" and almost died from it but they caught it before any damage was done and she is living very normally today. gl
2007-02-07 10:13:02 · answer #2 · answered by luv2bake 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I'm sorry I have never dealt with this personally, however, with my first pregnancy, I was offered an "abortion" because of some abnormal results. I could not do it. I just couldn't bear it. The pregnancy ended in a still birth at 7 months. Looking back, knowing what I know, I still don't think I would have changed my mind. I wanted the opportunity to give my baby at least a chance.
I think some of my questions for her doctor would be, is there already brain damage and if so to what extent do they think it would be? Is there any way to drain the fluid in utero? What are the child's chances of survival and what would the quality of life be. Don't be afriad to ask for second and even third opinions before making such a tough decision!
((((((((((((((( to you and your family!)))))))))))))))))))
2007-02-07 10:07:48 · answer #3 · answered by Marlietta 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Depending on the severity of the hydrocephaly the child can suffer from varying degrees of brain damage, developmental issues, growth issues etc. Doctor's don't recommend abortions lightly - a case like this would probably see a child with a very poor quality of life and certainly a short life span.
2007-02-07 10:08:58 · answer #4 · answered by chicchick 5 · 3⤊ 0⤋
My BF's nephew had this and he is fine now apparently there was a year of unknowing but I did not know my BF then and now the boy is like any other 6 yr old actually he is smarter than the average 6 year old but i suggest you look on google or something. sorry i don't know anymor eabout the condition but good luck and hope everything turns out ok for your sister.
2007-02-07 10:07:55 · answer #5 · answered by natl7788 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I am soo sorry thay your sister and baby are going through this. There is hope. Pass this on to her. www.hydroassoc.org
The website for hydrocephalus association. or toll free 888-598-3789./ They will be happy to give your sister much needed info to help her. God Bless.
2007-02-07 10:07:55 · answer #6 · answered by Mum to 2 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋