As Women’s Month comes to an end, Tygerberg Hospital has encouraged pregnant women to book early antenatal care appointments to curb risk in their pregnancies.
Subspecialist of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Dr Samantha Budhram, said it was vital for women to book early for antenatal care.
“Most of our work involves using ultrasound machines to examine the foetus. It is very important for pregnant women to book early for antenatal care (preferably in the first three months of pregnancy) so that we can provide the best possible care and outcome.
“One such journey with a happy ending for everyone started early this year when 27-year-old Wilna-Mari van Antwerpen booked at her antenatal clinic at eight weeks of pregnancy.
“She was very anxious due to having lost a previous baby with the same condition, and was therefore immediately referred to Tygerberg Hospital where staff were able to detect that her foetus was severely anaemic.
“They started transfusing the foetus with blood from 16 weeks of pregnancy, and her baby needed another eight blood transfusions for the remainder of the pregnancy.
“She delivered a healthy baby boy on July 16, 2023,” said Budhram.
Van Antwerpen said: “I’m so grateful to the Tygerberg Hospital staff for the lifesaving treatment my baby received. I believe that because of them my baby boy is alive and thriving today.”
In 2022, the Maternal Foetal Medicine Unit at the hospital performed 6 927 pregnancy ultrasounds.
They screen pregnancies to identify foetuses at risk of certain problems such as Down Syndrome, diagnose conditions in the foetus such as abnormal structure of the foetus, and monitor high-risk pregnancies for complications such as multiple pregnancies and intervention (treatment of the mother and/or foetus for a problem identified during the pregnancy).
If you are pregnant and have certain risk factors for having a baby with Down Syndrome (eg. maternal age of over 37 years) Tygerberg Hospital can offer you a special ultrasound examination (nuchal translucency scan) in the first three months of pregnancy to look for signs of this condition.
All pregnant women are offered a detailed scan examining the structure of the foetus at about five months of the pregnancy. Some women may then need counselling by the genetics team and further testing depending on the findings of the ultrasound examination.
Apart from testing for Down Syndrome, they can test for many other genetic conditions and infections depending on the findings of the ultrasound examination or history of the patient.
The earlier in pregnancy a foetal diagnosis is reached (and before 24 weeks) the better for the management of the pregnancy.
Twins (and other multiple pregnancies) are at high risk of both maternal and foetal complications (such as foetal abnormalities, insufficient foetal growth and pre-term labour) and they take care of many of these high-risk pregnancies.
There are conditions in which the foetus can become anaemic. The hospital can care for these at-risk pregnancies and detect early if the baby has become anaemic.
Many times, staff can transfuse the foetus with blood while they are still inside the womb to help them along in the pregnancy. This can be lifesaving if detected in time, as in the case of baby Van Antwerpen.
“Booking at your antenatal clinic early in pregnancy is essential to improve your chances of having a safe and successful pregnancy,” said Budhram.
Cape Times