Understanding Twin-to-Twin Transfusion Syndrome Pregnancy can be a huge adventure.
It's a time filled with both excitement and uncertainty.
A new mom can read a ton of pregnancy books, get advice from friends and family and take a number of parenting classes, but there are some things that she can't prepare for.
One of those things is a serious disorder known as Twin-to-Twin Transfusion Syndrome.
TTTS is a rare disorder that occurs with identical twins and multiple babies who share a placenta.
This syndrome occurs when blood from the mother ends up being distributed unequally between the babies.
One child ends up getting too much blood, while the other doesn't get enough.
Because of this, a massive collection of amniotic fluid gathers around the "recipient" baby, or the baby getting the most blood.
The "donor" baby ends up having very little amniotic fluid around him.
If Twin-to-Twin Transfusion Syndrome is not treated, both babies could die in 80 to 100 percent of the cases.
If one baby survives, there's a great chance they might suffer permanent neurological damage.
What are the signs of this syndrome? Some signs spotted during an ultrasound include: •Difference in size between the two amniotic sacs •Evidence of fluid buildup in the skin of either fetus •Findings of congestive heart failure in the recipient baby •Marked difference in the size of fetuses of the same gender •Difference in the size of the umbilical cords In-utero surgery has saved the lives of many babies affected by TTTS.
One surgical procedure that is used to alleviate this problem is called Fetoscopic Laser Photocoagulation.
During this procedure, the blood vessels that are causing the problems are identified and sealed off.
This helps regulate the amniotic fluid levels for both babies and get things back to normal.
Learn more about how the experts deal with Twin-to-Twin Transfusion Syndrome.
It's a time filled with both excitement and uncertainty.
A new mom can read a ton of pregnancy books, get advice from friends and family and take a number of parenting classes, but there are some things that she can't prepare for.
One of those things is a serious disorder known as Twin-to-Twin Transfusion Syndrome.
TTTS is a rare disorder that occurs with identical twins and multiple babies who share a placenta.
This syndrome occurs when blood from the mother ends up being distributed unequally between the babies.
One child ends up getting too much blood, while the other doesn't get enough.
Because of this, a massive collection of amniotic fluid gathers around the "recipient" baby, or the baby getting the most blood.
The "donor" baby ends up having very little amniotic fluid around him.
If Twin-to-Twin Transfusion Syndrome is not treated, both babies could die in 80 to 100 percent of the cases.
If one baby survives, there's a great chance they might suffer permanent neurological damage.
What are the signs of this syndrome? Some signs spotted during an ultrasound include: •Difference in size between the two amniotic sacs •Evidence of fluid buildup in the skin of either fetus •Findings of congestive heart failure in the recipient baby •Marked difference in the size of fetuses of the same gender •Difference in the size of the umbilical cords In-utero surgery has saved the lives of many babies affected by TTTS.
One surgical procedure that is used to alleviate this problem is called Fetoscopic Laser Photocoagulation.
During this procedure, the blood vessels that are causing the problems are identified and sealed off.
This helps regulate the amniotic fluid levels for both babies and get things back to normal.
Learn more about how the experts deal with Twin-to-Twin Transfusion Syndrome.
Source...