How to correct abnormalities in womb

NEW DELHI: Three out of 20 babies are diagnosed with abnormalities, which are often missed but can be picked up in routine ultrasound scans.

NEW DELHI: Three out of 20 babies are diagnosed with abnormalities, which are often missed but can be picked up in routine ultrasound scans.

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With advances in technology, many pregnancy complications can be detected as early as in the twelfth week of gestation and corrected using in-womb surgery.

The All India Institute of Medical Sciences’ (AIIMS) foetal medicine division performs foetal reduction surgeries, a procedure to abort one or more foetuses in cases where a woman is pregnant with more than two babies.

Then there is foetoscopic laser ablation, a surgery to eliminate one out of two twins that share blood streams using laser technology and interstitial laser surgery, removal of tumours in foetuses.

The department does shunt surgeries, a procedure in which a shunt is put in a baby’s lung or bladder that helps in reducing its chances of dying after delivery, and blood transfusions in unborn anaemic babies.

“Technology has allowed us to treat babies in a mother’s womb,” says Dr Dipika Deka, head of the foetal medicine division, AIIMS.

In Delhi, an estimated 7,200 babies will be born with birth defects each year, out of 4,87,000 babies born in India.

“Foetal therapy is recognised as one of the most promising fields for expert care for both mother and unborn baby, and prenatal surgery is becoming an option for a growing number of babies with birth defects,” said Dr Prathap C Reddy, founder chairman of Apollo Hospitals group.

Apollo has been running a foetal medicine centre since 2006.

“Foetal evaluation can give patient-specific risk for a wide spectrum of pregnancy complications, including intellectual disability in foetus, preterm delivery, preeclampsia, gestational diabetes, foetal growth restriction,” said Dr Anita Kaul, senior consultant, foetal medicine, Apollo.