Parker Update
The week of February 9th I received a call from one of the doctor’s stating that there were a few concerning things that they found on the 20 week ultrasound. There were two things that they noticed that they wanted to take a closer look at, so they were sending me to the specialists for a more detailed ultrasound.
I was told that these findings weren’t anything that I had to absolutely worry about right now. They just wanted to take extra precautions and make sure everything was fine. The first thing they noticed was that there was excess fluid in one of the ventricles of the brain. The second thing they noticed was that there was only 1 artery and 1 vein running through the umbilical cord - the normal is 2 arteries and 1 vein - so we’re missing an artery.
On Thursday (02/19) was my appointment with the specialists (these are the same people that performed the down syndrome and spina bifida tests). In regards to the first thing they found, they’re diagnosing Parker with hydrocephalus. This could cause brain damage, birth defects, spina bifida, or it could be a chance event. They’re not sure if only having 2 nerves instead of 3 in the umbilical cord is related to this problem.
I was reassured by my doctor’s office and the specialists that many babies are born without any problems when they have an umbillical cord only having 2 nerves. Typically, if there are problems, they are found in the heart, spine, and kidneys. They checked these three things yesterday and found that nothing appeared wrong. His heart beat was 150 bpm, which is normal and spine development looked good.
They other thing that caused a little concern for them was that with their measurements, Parker’s approximate weight is 1 pound 4 ounces - which is large for his age. Which they consider him only 21 weeks and 4 days, unlike my doctor’s office that considers him 22 weeks and 6 days. Along with that, they noticed his head is shaped more like a circle than an oval. Which is a common factor in hydrocephalus because of the pressure on the brain.
They gave me some documentation to read on the hydrocephalus and of course it was written at their level, not a patient’s level. So, Friday morning, I went on WebMD and found the following article that explains the condition in terms we can all understand: http://children.webmd.com/tc/congenital-hydrocephalus-topic-overview
They gave me three options at the end of the appointment.
- I could have a 3-hour glucose test done, which would check for diabetes (causes the baby to grow at a faster rate), and any new infections.
- I could come back for a follow-up ultrasound in a month at which time they would check the rate of growth and examine everything again.
- I could have the amniocentesis test done which would check for any chromosome problems. This test is where they take a long needle and extract fluid from the placenta. The problem with this test is it could result in a miscarriage. But because I’m 21 weeks (according to them), it wouldn’t result in a miscarriage but in preterm birth. And because I’m only 21 weeks along, there’s a 0 chance of survival if the baby is delivered. So, this option is not something we will risk - especially since it doesn’t fix anything, it just eliminates a possible cause.
I have agreed to do both option 1 and 2. Sometime this week I’ll get option 1 done. And my next ultrasound is scheduled for March 19th.
According to the article above, there’s nothing that can really be done until after he’s born. At which time they can better evaluate him and provide us with some treatment options. However, there’s still a chance that he’ll be born without any problems too.
So, now that you have an abundant amount of information, we ask that you continue to keep Parker in your thoughts and prayers. Please try not to worry to much - there’s not much we can do right now other than try and find the cause. Plus, I need to keep my nerves and stress levels low so that they do not affect Parker too.
We’re confident that we’ll get through this, just like we have other hardships. And we’ll be a closer family for it. After all, what’s life without a few challenges along the way?
