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Mothers who have hydrocephlus
My question is I'm 25 yrs old and I want to get pregnant but I'm afarid to get pregnant because I was born with hydrocephalus and i just want to know how it is and if my child will be born with bydrocephlus? please help answer m question.
A lady that I work with has hydrocephalus with a retroperitoneal shunt in place....She has 2 daughters and had no problems with either pregnancy.......I would still address the issue with your Dr. though, just to confirm. Lots of luck.
Just a little something I found online. I hope it helps, and if it doesn't you can always google your question and im sure you will recieve a lot more accurate information.
Important Considerations Before Becoming Pregnant
It is recommended that women with hydrocephalus considering pregnancy receive preconception counseling and a baseline CT or MRI. That way, if the woman's shunt malfunctions during pregnancy, the doctor has a current scan of the brain for comparison.
It is important the woman take prenatal vitamins including folic acid BEFORE and during the pregnancy to minimize the risk of neural tube defects.
Discuss any medications the shunted woman is taking including anticonvulsants with your doctors. Some anticonvulsants are contraindicated for pregnant women.
Prenatal testing is an important consideration for shunted pregnant women. In my study, 95% had ultrasounds. Sixty-six percent had the alpha-fetoprotein test (afp test). This is a simple blood test performed between the 16th and 18th weeks of pregnancy to screen for neural tube defects such as spina bifida and anencephaly in the baby. Twenty-eight percent of the women in this study had amniocentesis. One woman's test identified a baby with trisomy 13. Although this is an invasive test, there were no complications from the procedure reported by the mothers in this study.
Important Considerations Before Becoming Pregnant
It is recommended that women with hydrocephalus considering pregnancy receive preconception counseling and a baseline CT or MRI. That way, if the woman's shunt malfunctions during pregnancy, the doctor has a current scan of the brain for comparison.
It is important the woman take prenatal vitamins including folic acid BEFORE and during the pregnancy to minimize the risk of neural tube defects.
Discuss any medications the shunted woman is taking including anticonvulsants with your doctors. Some anticonvulsants are contraindicated for pregnant women.
Prenatal testing is an important consideration for shunted pregnant women. In my study, 95% had ultrasounds. Sixty-six percent had the alpha-fetoprotein test (afp test). This is a simple blood test performed between the 16th and 18th weeks of pregnancy to screen for neural tube defects such as spina bifida and anencephaly in the baby. Twenty-eight percent of the women in this study had amniocentesis. One woman's test identified a baby with trisomy 13. Although this is an invasive test, there were no complications from the procedure reported by the mothers in this study.
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