peppy |
10-09-2009 05:02 PM |
These are the types of diseases that March of Dimes is up against. Just look at the statistics, they are horrible. This is what my wife had, both boys born at 30 weeks, and we lose one to an accident.
Thanks and have a great ride Dan.
Twin-twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS): About 10 percent of identical twins who share a placenta develop this complication (6, 7). TTTS occurs when a connection between the two babies’ blood vessels in the placenta causes one baby to get too much blood flow and the other too little. Until recently, severe cases often resulted in the loss of both babies.
TTTS now can be treated with laser surgery to seal off the connection between the babies’ blood vessels. It also can be treated with serial (repeated) amniocentesis to drain off excess fluid. Removing the excess fluid appears to improve blood flow in the placenta and reduces the risk of preterm labor. Both procedures can greatly improve the outlook for the babies.
However, recent studies suggest that laser surgery may save more babies and cause fewer neurological problems (such as cerebral palsy) in survivors than amniocentesis (6, 8). For example, a European study found a 76 percent survival rate for at least one fetus after laser surgery compared to 56 percent for serial amniocentesis (8). Another advantage of laser surgery is that only one treatment is needed, while amniocentesis generally must be repeated more than once.
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