AMNIOCENTESIS, ULTRASOUNDS & OTHER TESTS
Tests are important in pregnancy. If the mother is over 35, the practitioner might recommend an amniocentesis. This will test for genetic defects or mutations such as Down's. There are some risks to taking the test, as it is intervention. For those unfamiliar, a needle is inserted into mother's tummy and into the amniotic sac. Amniotic fluid is retrieved and tested. In our clinic, amnios were recommended, of course, but if it didn't matter to the prospective parents whether the baby was Down's or not, they could elect to not opt for the test and eliminate any risk or intervention. The genetic mutation for the genetic disease Tay-Sachs, according to the medical textbooks, is found in the Eastern European, Jewish cultures, but many children with this genetic affliction are being born to families with no known association in their ancestry. New parents may choose to have amnios to rule-out any genetic complications such as this one, especially since this mutation is showing up more so in Hispanic cultures. Tests such as this are designed to predict complications or problems in the baby, and are for the most part, elective.
One test that is somewhat controversial in preventative medical cultures is the serial ultrasounds. The fetal ultrasound is required in pregnancy and serial because at least 2 separate tests are required. The reason for this is that the first ultrasound is taken early in the pregnancy, and then a second ultrasound in the latter part of the pregnancy. The serial ultrasound can be very informative as the changes can be observed along with the growth curves. If there is an abnormality that wasn’t noted in the first ultrasound, this could be cause for suspicion and further tests may be required to rule out these suspicions. Let’s face it, the more data we have, the better. Ignorance breeds fear! Plus, know what you’re dealing with so that you make be able to make it better for a better outcome.
Some alternative practitioners, however, believe this is a harmful test for the fetus. Ultrasound waves are believed to affect fetal brains in a negative way. In my practice of at least 2 decades working with my midwife, we have had virtually no incidence of any kind of neurological/brain problems with ANY of our kids. Ultrasounds are pulsed waves and these waves bounce off the baby to record the image. These tests give the senior practitioner more data about the fetus and in more cases than not, it serves as a preventative benefit. In 25 years of practice working with pregnant women, we have found more benefit with serial ultrasounds, than not.
We have seen questionable problems with fetuses several times and were able to prevent a terrible outcome at the birth as a result of attending to the fetus in utero. One example close to home was with Jackie’s pregnancy. After the 1994 Northridge earthquake, Jackie was pregnant with her 3rd child. She fell over a bookcase and the trauma damaged the fetus and caused a hole in the baby’s heart. We found this through an ultrasound early in the pregnancy. She was put on bed rest for 6 weeks, lying on her left side. We fed her nutrients such as CoEnzyme Q10, protein powder shakes, specific free form amino acids, A to B CALM, to name a few, to help the heart repair itself. Another ultrasound was done and then another to track the repair process of the heart. As a result, the heart repaired itself completely due to the intensive care we initiated, and Savannah is a healthy 12 year-old-girl without heart problems. Without the initial scheduled ultrasound, this might have never been detected, and this little girl could have had a terrible problem with delivery and with her quality of life due to the early heart issues noted early on in the pregnancy.
One test that is somewhat controversial in preventative medical cultures is the serial ultrasounds. The fetal ultrasound is required in pregnancy and serial because at least 2 separate tests are required. The reason for this is that the first ultrasound is taken early in the pregnancy, and then a second ultrasound in the latter part of the pregnancy. The serial ultrasound can be very informative as the changes can be observed along with the growth curves. If there is an abnormality that wasn’t noted in the first ultrasound, this could be cause for suspicion and further tests may be required to rule out these suspicions. Let’s face it, the more data we have, the better. Ignorance breeds fear! Plus, know what you’re dealing with so that you make be able to make it better for a better outcome.
Some alternative practitioners, however, believe this is a harmful test for the fetus. Ultrasound waves are believed to affect fetal brains in a negative way. In my practice of at least 2 decades working with my midwife, we have had virtually no incidence of any kind of neurological/brain problems with ANY of our kids. Ultrasounds are pulsed waves and these waves bounce off the baby to record the image. These tests give the senior practitioner more data about the fetus and in more cases than not, it serves as a preventative benefit. In 25 years of practice working with pregnant women, we have found more benefit with serial ultrasounds, than not.
We have seen questionable problems with fetuses several times and were able to prevent a terrible outcome at the birth as a result of attending to the fetus in utero. One example close to home was with Jackie’s pregnancy. After the 1994 Northridge earthquake, Jackie was pregnant with her 3rd child. She fell over a bookcase and the trauma damaged the fetus and caused a hole in the baby’s heart. We found this through an ultrasound early in the pregnancy. She was put on bed rest for 6 weeks, lying on her left side. We fed her nutrients such as CoEnzyme Q10, protein powder shakes, specific free form amino acids, A to B CALM, to name a few, to help the heart repair itself. Another ultrasound was done and then another to track the repair process of the heart. As a result, the heart repaired itself completely due to the intensive care we initiated, and Savannah is a healthy 12 year-old-girl without heart problems. Without the initial scheduled ultrasound, this might have never been detected, and this little girl could have had a terrible problem with delivery and with her quality of life due to the early heart issues noted early on in the pregnancy.
Healthy Answers Online is one of the only websites of its kind providing nutritional secrets, suggestions and the latest information and technology available to maximize health and eliminate the common discomforts of pregnancy and improving the outcomes of her and her unborn baby. The site also addresses issues related to newborns, babies, kids, children, parents, fertility, labor and delivery, post-partum and breast feeding.
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