And our baby's gender is...

...a boy!!!

Che and I doesn't have any gender preference. I thought it will be nice to have another girl to make use of Sophia's tons of clothes. On the other hand, Che and I was quite worried that Sean is surrounded by all girls - Sophia, our 3 yr old niece Sachi, and of course the yayas so having a younger brother to play with will be nice.

I had an unplanned ultrasound. Since this is my second pregnancy, I am not too keen on having ultrasounds unlike my first. Sort of 'been there, done that'. We also doesn't have any gender preference so I am not that giddy excited. However, my OB suggested an ultrasound to check whether I had enough amniotic fluid since I reported some occassional discharge the past few days. It was so far ok.

However, we discovered something unusual during the ultrasound. There was this rounded fluid (hole-like) in our baby's brain. Later on, the OB-Sonologist reported it to be something called Choroid Plexus Cyst. We instantly got worried. The doctor suggested another ultrasound or congenital anomaly scan in the next 6 weeks. I did my research last night and found this....

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The second trimester ultrasound examination (sonogram) will sometimes identify a cyst or cysts in the choroid plexus. The choroid plexus is a tissue in the brain that produces cerebrospinal fluid. Fluid-filled cysts, called choroid plexus cysts or CPCs, are identified by ultrasound in approximately 1-2% of all pregnancies scanned between 16 and 24 weeks gestation. In the majority of cases, CPCs disappear by the 28th week of pregnancy with no effect on the baby. However, a fetal CPC is considered a “marker”, indicating that the baby may have an increased risk for a chromosome abnormality. When observed as an isolated ultrasound finding in women under 35 years of age, the risk for trisomy 18 is increased, but remains low (less than 1%). The risk is higher for women age 35 or older. Additional abnormal ultrasound findings significantly increase the risk for trisomy 18 .

Trisomy 18 is a chromosome abnormality resulting from an extra copy of chromosome #18, thus three copies instead of two. Chromosomes are the inherited structures in the cells of the body. There should be 46 chromosomes in each cell, arranged into 23 pairs. Chromosome abnormalities involving an entire missing or extra chromosome are not inherited and are not caused by an exposure during pregnancy. Instead, they are caused by random mistakes in cell division at the time of conception and can occur in anyone’s pregnancy. Infants with trisomy 18 have severe mental retardation and multiple birth defects. Many pregnancies with trisomy 18 result in a miscarriage or infant death, although a small percentage can live for several years.

When a CPC is identified un ultrasound, there is the option for additional testing. Detailed ultrasound, to look for both major birth defects and minor findings associated with trisomy 18, may be recommended, depending upon the amount of detail that was obtained during previous ultrasounds. Amniocentesis, to test for chromosome abnormalities in the baby, is also an option.

It is important to remember that isolated CPCs are usually normal variants that have no negative effect on the baby.

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We are worried but we are also hopeful that this is an isolated case since everything seems normal. We know that with enough prayers, the cyst will go away. Please pray for our baby.