Update on baby [Archive]

JulieBaby

11-08-2008, 10:06 PM

First, I want to thank everyone who sent out T&P to my friend and her new baby boy. It was what helped me through the days when I couldnt reach her.

I finally spoke to her today and she shared her birth story with me.

At 40 1/2 weeks, after an uneventful pregnancy she went into the hospital because of strange discharge. When they checked the heartbeat it was dangerously low and they rushed her into the ER for an emergency c-section.

Her baby boy was born blue and lifeless, but after resucitation he was fine and had a tube put in to help him breathe.

Her baby was born missing his Corpus Collosum. Poor thing, but thank God he is home and doing well. They dont know what his long term prognosis will be.

WhatI wonder is, how the heck could this not be detected by ultrasound?

jessiehannan

11-08-2008, 10:10 PM

I'm glad he is home with his family and doing well.

Laurens_Mom

11-08-2008, 10:12 PM

:hug:

Bohemian

11-08-2008, 10:13 PM

Glad he ok!

nicurn

11-09-2008, 05:24 AM

Corpus callosum is a membrane, not easily seen by ultrasound. It isn't something they check for.

Long term prognosis (http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/agenesis/agenesis.htm)

Indigo

11-09-2008, 09:27 AM

I don't think it would be obvious by u/s it's just a membrane and I would think the brain would look basically normal via u/s.
As for the prognosis, thre are just too many variables with the brain for them to be able to tell her what his life will be like. It could range from normal functioning to retardation to issues with one side of the body properly communicating with the other.
The good news is that with something like this so early in life especially the brain often tries to compensate and make connections in other ways that are not there as they should be.. So it will really be a wait and see type of thing.

Macabe

11-09-2008, 04:17 PM

The corpus collosum is a bundle of nerve cells that connects the left and right hemispheres of the brain. It's extremely important for motor coordination, receptive and expressive speech, and thinking skills, especially higher order thinking skills. That said, as nicurn points out, the brain often finds ways to compensate for deficits and there's no way to tell yet how it will affect him. I'm sure he'l be referred for various therapies almost from birth.