Are ultrasounds enough?

Hello -

I was scheduled for a c-section for our second child because of complications with my first delivery.  My doctor gave me multiple ultrasounds and moved my due date up by five days after the last one.  After our son was born, it was discovered that he was, at most, 34 wks old  (he had no eyebrows/lashes, no finger/footprints or cartlidge in his ears, feeding problems and his heartrate kept dropping).  He has since had many issues (including being diagnosed last year with Cerebral Palsy).  He is now 2-1/2 years old and still cannot walk/talk plus has other developmental issues.  When we filed a complaint with our local medical board, they looked into the situation and concluded that, even IF our son was premature, it was by no fault of the doctor.  They went on to say that determing the gestational age of a fetus is an inexact science as best.  This makes no sense to me since they rely so heavily on what an ultrasound tells them.  Has anyone else had an issue similar to this?

[RockRose]

WIthout knowing your history,  it's hard to tell what's going on here.  Did you have very early ultra sounds to determine due date?  I knew nearly to the day when all 3 of my babies were conceived,  and had home pregnancy tests to show at the 4 week mark that I was pregnant,  so there would be no way to be off more than 6 weeks on the gestational age.

Was he a normal birthweight (5.5 pounds or more)?  

I'm so sorry you're having to go through this awful situation.  

But before the doctor is blamed,  it seems that it needs to be clear 1.  when the first US was done,  2.  when you knew you were pregnant  3.  the size of the baby.

Best wishes.  Prayers that he will thrive and come closer to catching up with his peers.  Your story is sad to read.

[RockRose]

peigal,  I looked this link up for you.  It shows that eyelashes and fingerprints form before 23 weeks of gestation.

So it sounds like there was something else going on with your growing fetus than just prematurity - surely he wasn't delivered before 23 weeks.  

I post this for you because I sense there's a feeling with you that you could have prevented his developmental delay,  that ANYONE could have prevented it - by not delivering him early.

It doesn't seem like that.  It seems like there were significant delays for him that are unrelated to being delivered possibly as much as 6 weeks early.

Mother second and third and fourth guess what could have helped their babies.  I hope somehow you can be at peace that this was nothing you could have prevented.

http://www.4parents.gov/sexdevt/reproductive/baby_dev/index.html

[peigal23]

My first ultrasound was in February of 2008 and our son was born in early July.  My second ultrasound was in May and is when he moved my due date up.  My family doctor recently told me that, according to my Gyno's reports she was sent, I was only measuring 33cm when I was supposed to be 37 weeks.  

[Clysta]

Measuring 33cm by tape? If so, that's inaccurate to go by and doesn't actually tell much. Many things can affect that and they are often wrong. I was 33 weeks measuring to be 27 weeks and when I delivered at 39 weeks I showed to be 32 weeks. Ultrasound always placed her at proper growth. Unfortunately I'm not too sure that an ultrasound would be that far off. As pregnancy progresses they do get slightly more inaccurate, but they aren't usually off by that much. (at most I've heard 2 weeks)