Shangrila Journey

I am scheduled to have a Congenital Anatomy Scan tomorrow at Asian Hospital and I hope results are what I hope for. This is just a standard procedure from my OB but of course I can’t help but be worried. According to this site:

This scan is used to detect abnormalities of the baby and it is often performed at around 22 weeks. Most babies are healthy but sadly some have serious problems, which almost always cannot be predicted by a family history of the health of the mother.

Approximately 70 per cent of all serious congenital malformations can be detected by this scan. Thus, even if the baby appears normal on this scan there is still a small chance that your baby will have a problem.

Sometimes it is difficult to obtain optimal views of a certain part of the baby’s anatomy if the baby is in an awkward position. Rarely it might be necessary to come back for a repeat scan so as to complete the examination.

The sex of the baby can almost always be determined on scanning at 20 weeks but Mr Economides will only tell you if you wish to know this information.

A table is included below of some of the problems that can be detected on ultrasound at 20 weeks and the likelihood of detection. (RCOG 2000)

Problem	Observation	Detection Rate
Open spina bifida	Open spinal cord	90 per cent
Anencephaly	Missing top of head	99 per cent
Hydrocephalus	Excess fluid within the brain	60 per cent
Congenital heart disease	Major heart defect	60 per cent
Exomphalos/gastroschisis	Defect of the abdominal wall	90 per cent
Major kidney problems	Missing or abnormal kidneys	85 per cent
Major limb abnormalities	Shortened or abnormally formed bones	90 per cent
Diaphragmatic hernia	Defect of the muscle separating chest and abdomen	65 per cent
Cleft lip and palate	Defect in lip	80 per cent
Down’s syndrome	Heart, limb, and bowel problems	50 per cent
Cerebral palsy		Not detected
Autism		Not detected