Second opinion gives unborn baby second chance

Seven-month-old Charlotte Bent is hitting all of her developmental milestones — smiling, laughing, playing peek-a-boo, bearing weight on her legs. Her parents, Jennifer and Keith, are overjoyed. “It’s a complete 180-degree turn from where we thought we would be this time last year,” says Jennifer. After struggling to conceive their second child, the couple was thrilled when Jennifer became pregnant. The results of genetic testing were normal and confirmed they would be welcoming a daughter in April. Jennifer felt the baby’s first kicks on Nov. 23, 2015. The next day, she was scheduled for an anatomy scan. “At first, everything seemed normal,” recalls Jennifer. But as the obstetrician was helping her from the exam table, he looked at Jennifer. “I have some concerns,” he told her. “My heart dropped,” she says. Joy turned to devastation. “I think your baby is missing part of her brain,” the obstetrician said. Charlotte’s diagnosis The next few days were a whirlwind — a fetal MRI, amniocentesis, meeting with a fetal care coordinator. Three days after Jennifer felt her baby’s first kicks, she and Keith met with a pediatric neurologist. He diagnosed Charlotte with congenital hydrocephalus — a condition that leads to buildup of spinal fluid inside the brain and compresses tissue against the skull. The prognosis was dire. Charlotte would be severely disabled, unable to eat, speak or walk. “We left in a daze,” says Jennifer. A second opinion b...
Source: Thrive, Children's Hospital Boston - Category: Pediatrics Authors: Tags: Our Patients’ Stories Advanced Fetal Care Center bilateral perisylvian polymicrogyria Dr. Benjamin Warf Dr. Christopher Elitt Second opinion ventriculomegaly Source Type: news