Fetal anomalies are structural or chromosomal abnormalities that occur in the fetus in utero, such as an extra finger (toe), heart malformation, spina bifida and Down’s syndrome.
I. Causes of fetal malformation
There are more factors that cause fetal malformation, as follows.
1, maternal or environmental factors: such as exposure to radiation, application of chemical agents or infection with certain microorganisms during pregnancy, lack of folic acid in the diet, etc., can increase the rate of fetal malformation.
2, genetic factors: refers to the abnormalities of genetic material from parents that cause malformations, such as parental chromosomal abnormalities, parents carrying mutated genes, etc.
Second, the examination cycle of fetal malformation
Due to the different gestation periods, the time to find out fetal malformation varies because of different choices of teratology examination, as follows.
1.14-20 weeks of pregnancy: Down’s syndrome screening, mainly to check whether the fetus has neural tube malformation or cartilage lesions.
2. 18-20 weeks of gestation: because all the organs of the fetus have developed and taken shape at this time, it is easy to see whether there are any malformations under ultrasound.
3.20-26 weeks of pregnancy: 4-dimensional ultrasound can be performed to check whether the fetus has any malformation in appearance or organ structure.
Treatment of fetal malformation
Once fetal malformation is found, it needs to be treated actively, and the treatment methods are as follows.
1.Intrauterine treatment: fetoscopic surgery is mainly applied to treat twin fetus transfusion syndrome or fetal reduction.
2.Postnatal treatment: such as ventricular shunt surgery for hydrocephalus, repair of cleft lip and palate, surgical treatment for congenital heart disease, drug treatment for phenylketonuria, etc.
4.Prevention of fetal malformation
Fetal malformation can be prevented, and the preventive measures are as follows.
1.Medical examination before marriage, such as screening for hepatitis B and venereal disease.
2.Folic acid supplements starting in the first trimester of pregnancy can effectively prevent fetal neural tube abnormality.
3. Pregnant women at risk should undergo prenatal counseling or genetic counseling.
4.Avoid exposure to undesirable environment and drugs during pregnancy, and quit drinking and smoking.
5, regular maternity check-ups, such as Down’s syndrome screening, ultrasound, etc., and prenatal diagnosis if necessary.
6. Consult your doctor when using drugs to avoid improper use of drugs affecting the fetus.