Unborn babies miss out on therapy due to lack of scans

Unborn babies with conditions treatable in the womb are missing out on fetal therapies because of lack of access to a second trimester fetal anomaly scan at Cork University Maternity Hospital (CUMH).

Keelin O’Donoghue, a specialist in maternal and fetal medicine at CUMH, said failure to diagnose major problems with fetuses during pregnancy at the “right” time meant families “miss opportunities for information and explanation, preparation, or choice, birth plans, and, sadly, bereavement care”.

“Some babies have worse outcomes and the option of fetal therapy may be lost, while others may have complicated deliveries or are transferred to intensive care away from their parents,” said Dr O’Donoghue. “Fetal therapies include treatment for cardiac arrhythmias and thyroid disease.”