Baby Russell Ultrasound #8

Let me begin by saying that the baby looks to be completely healthy.

On Monday, January 22nd, we went in for a "level 2" ultrasound. This is apparently no different then a level 1, except it is read and interpreted immediately by a perinatologist and they are looking for anomalies that would suggest a specific problem with the baby. In our case they were looking for any markers of Trisomy 18 or 21 (ugly chromosomal problems).

Per my previous post, in our last ultrasound the radiologist found a Choroid Plexus Cyst in the baby's brain. The Choroid Plexus is a section of the brain that does not have any bearing on the child's development, and a cyst in that section is not at all harmful to the growth or development of the baby what-so-ever. People are born with them and live with them all the time, and most often never know it. The only thing going on in that part of the brain is the development of spinal fluid. The cyst does not hinder that, and very often it disappears before the 3rd trimester anyway.

So, why is it a concern? While cysts are common in completely healthy babies, they are prevalent in babies with chromosomal abnormalities like Edwards Syndrome and Downs Syndrome. So while a cyst is not an issue at all, the level 2 ultrasound is performed to make sure that there are no markers for these other conditions. In our case, after two very thorough ultrasounds, we were assured that there was nothing on any of the ultrasounds that would give any indication that our baby has any abnormalities at all.

This is, of course, a great relief. Regardless, because this pregnancy has been a bit stressful (just a bit), Paul and I did decide that we would like 100% confirmation, so we made the choice to have an amniocentesis which will verify 100% that there is nothing at all wrong with the baby. The procedure was performed today and we will have our final results in 10 - 14 days. Of course we will keep you all posted.

The people who read this blog our are family and friends. Please feel free at any time to call us or email us if you have any questions or concerns about what we've told you so far. We do not mind talking about it.

So, look for my next blog entry by the end of next week, and breath easy because we've already been told to expect the exact results that we are looking for.