Wednesday, May 5, 2010

Why a 28 Week Ultrasound???

A 28 week - or there abouts - ultrasound checks the placenta and umbilical cord (knots, nuchal cords, torsion or length variations) for abnormailites. This new and proactive step in being your baby's "en utero" advocate lets you and your doctor begin a plan to keep a closer eye on baby if any abnormalities are found. Ultrasounds, home fetal heart rate monitoring and diligent kick counting may be options...

5 comments:

  1. I love that this is being posted and raved about in blog land !!! I have this on my "reading list" on my blog, but I just wondered as it is not something I have really asked, I am in the UK and unfortunately over here you only get one or two scans at the very most in pregnancy they are at 10-12 weeks (for dating) and 20 weeks for checking everything is ok. I have been told over here by two consultants that on our NHS they flatly refuse to check the cord. (I lost my son to UCA in November - True Knot and Nuchal Cord X2) so you can imagine how I feel about this !!!! Do you have any suggestions as to how to get our medical staff over here listening to this information & research & how to get it started ? or if anyone reading this is UK based - do you know of any private scanning centres that do actually check the umbilical cords on Ultrasound if you are paying them ??

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  3. Hi Joanne,

    I needed to start with this paragraph which I did not in the first post - so deleted and redone!!!

    Our most precious connection is our precious ones. I am so sorry for the loss of your sweet little son. I pray you and your family are finding a lighter path along your journey. These silent little ones have spoken to us. They have connected us all and sent us along a pathway which insures we will be with people who know where we are at and understand what we are going through. Their spirit is what keeps is going.

    The sad thing about getting a scan at 28 weeks in the USA is that it is not really a problem if you have already had a stillborn baby. UGH! The doc and insurance company will consider you to be high risk under these circumstances and you will be scanned more than the non-stillbirth mom.

    We are following the protocol of Dr. Collins of The Pregnancy Institute and according to research, the 28th to 30th week is the most likely time for umbilical cord problems to begin. Associate Professor Bettye Wilson of The University of Birmingham in her article, "Sonography of the Placenta and Umbilical Cord" states,"Umbilical cord knots can be readily identified sonographicaly." So in the words of Dr. Collins, "Why is no one talking about this?"

    We need to talk the talk and walk the walk. If we ask about the scan and give the doc the info and direct them to Dr. Collins site, www.preginst.com, hopefully, once these people are educated and enlightened, scans will be done. To be honest, I don't think most of the OBs' understand the significance of the 28 week scan ~ or kick counting ~ in regards to them being proactive stillbirth measures.

    Most women will not have a problem with either the baby's placenta or umbilical cord at 28 weeks and if that is the case, mom can do her diligent kick counting and watch out for any increases or decreases in baby's movements which could signify a potential problem. Moms need to be baby savvy and know her little ones patterns and movements from 20 weeks onwards. BUT ~ if there is a potential problem found ~ why not have a plan with your doc for further ultrasounds, monitoring, or passionate kick counting? We need to get the word out to all pregnant moms to ask and receive a 28 week scan as there are 4 million stillbirths globally every year!!! The techs are / should be taught to see the placenta and umbilical cord during their education -- so let's have them do it!!!

    My nephew's wife was induced for her second pregnancy. An ultrasound was performed a couple days before as a precautionary measure. She asked her doc for the umbilical cord to be visualized. She said the tech was quite nasty and said, "No one ever asks us to do that." But guess what -- the tech did it and all was fine. I guess it will have to be a "grassroots" movement and we will just have to begin to educate and inform everyone we meet. The Star Legacy Foundation is working on getting info together and is having their website updated to accommodate the medical community. Don't hesitate to send anyone to Dr. Collins website ~ he has all the info there and then some. Dr. Collins has followed and delivered the subsequent pregnancies of over 1,000 stillbirth moms and all have had a healthy viable breathing baby!!!

    I have put my feelers out to see about any centers in the UK which will do the 28 week scan, work

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  4. Thank you for your reply.. I am starting to get a file together of everything I am going to need in order to get the care that I will need if I become pregnant but I also want to be able to help any other pregnant mums out there that might have suffered the same fate. If i know someone that has been through this then I will pass the information along, unfortunately things seem to be going backwards in the uk with regards to antenatal care :(
    thank you so so very much for taking the time out to reply to me, the more information I can get the better,

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  5. You are doing what every mom needs to do ~ become proactively educated and spread the word. Our vision is for all moms to do the proactive steps which the Star Legacy Foundation supports. If all moms to be join our proactive campaign ~ how amazing would that be!?!?

    First time moms to be need to get to know their little ones "en utero" pattern of movements from 20 weeks onwards, have an ultrasound around 28 weeks to check for any cord / placenta abnormalities, and do kick counting every day from 28 weeks onwards if no problems are found. If a problem is found then mom and her OB need to plan a course of action to monitor baby daily. Remember, changes in movements ~ speeding up or slowing down ~ signal baby may be in distress. So, let your OB know and trust your gut. Umbilical cord accidents account for at least 30% of all stillbirths ~ let's prevent these needless tragedies once and for all.

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