Your baby’s gastrointestinal tract begins developing as early as gestation week 3. In week 4, this organ develops into three regions — the fore-, mid- and hind-gut — and extends the length of the embryo, ultimately becoming the gastrointestinal tract. [1] Fetal Gastrointestinal Tract Conditions Echogenic bowel masses Echogenic bowel masses are also… Read more »
Congenital chest malformations are rare and can range from small, asymptomatic entities to large masses that require immediate surgery. Malformations of the developing chest cavity can often present as hybrid conditions, meaning that several of the following conditions can be present at one time. Fetal chest malformations are typically diagnosed through fetal sonography, and when… Read more »
As a fetus is developing, it’s normal for digestive organs like the intestines to protrude outside of the abdomen and into the umbilical cord. Then, as the fetus develops further, those organs move inside the abdomen and are enclosed by the abdominal wall. When an abdominal wall defect occurs, the abdominal wall does not close… Read more »
Craniofacial anomalies refer to a variety of deformities that occur in the growth of the head and facial bones. These abnormalities, which are present when the baby is born, vary greatly in severity and come in many different forms. Treatment will depend upon the child’s overall health, age, symptoms and severity. What Causes Craniofacial Anomalies?… Read more »
Fetal cardiovascular abnormalities are fairly common, with congenital cardiac disease occurring in between two and six of every 1,000 live births. Many of these anomalies can be detected by ultrasound at between 18 and 22 weeks. Early detection can greatly improve outcomes and significantly reduce mortality when compared to infants who are diagnosed at birth. About… Read more »
Disorders affecting a fetus’s head or neck are caused by a variety of factors, but often are associated with other genetic disorders. Their treatment and outcome depend on the stage of gestation when the diagnosis is made, severity of the disorder, and many other individual factors. Congenital High Airway Obstruction Syndrome (CHAOS) When a… Read more »
Craniofacial anomalies refer to a variety of deformities that occur in the growth of the head and facial bones. These abnormalities, which are present when the baby is born, vary greatly in severity and come in many different forms. Treatment for craniofacial anomalies will depend upon the child’s overall health, age, symptoms and severity. What… Read more »
Conditions of the fetal central nervous system (CNS) are among the most frequently diagnosed congenital abnormalities, occurring at a rate of about 10 per 1,000 live births. Thanks to advances in sonographic imaging, care providers are able to examine the fetal CNS in detail during a prenatal sonogram, which is usually performed when the fetus… Read more »
If a pregnant mother is small, it may be normal for her baby to be small. But when a developing fetus doesn’t grow at the expected rate inside the womb, intrauterine growth restriction may be identified. Depending on the cause of IUGR, the developing baby may be small all over, or his or her head… Read more »
About Congenital Heart Defects (CHD) & How We Treat Them Congenital heart defects are problems present at birth that affect the structure of the baby’s heart and how it works. A congenital heart defect happens when the heart, or blood vessels near the heart, don’t develop normally before birth. There are many forms of CHD,… Read more »
You walk through the doors of the high-risk pregnancy center your OB-GYN referred you to. The care team seems nice enough, but you can’t help feeling that your new team isn’t really listening to you. The doctor downplayed your symptoms, and you don’t think they’re a good fit. What should you do? Patient self-advocacy means… Read more »
Treatment for a high-risk pregnancy can range from close monitoring and regular checkups to more specialized interventions, including medication. In the most severe situations, your maternal-fetal medicine provider may recommend fetal surgery. Let’s take a closer look at fetal surgery, what it is and how commonly it’s used. We’ll then highlight five things you might… Read more »
Before ever meeting with Dr. Kevin Magee at Fetal Care Center Dallas, Megan DuBose wrote him a letter introducing herself and sharing her story. Looking back, Megan sees it as an act of desperation after years of medical trauma and heartbreak. But it was an act of hope, too. “I just wanted to lay it… Read more »
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