Audrey Sims’ first clue that her twins’ birth would be complicated came at 14 weeks of pregnancy, when a routine ultrasound found that one of her sons, Aiden, had a cystic hygroma, a fluid collection on the neck. Audrey’s OB/GYN at King’s Daughters’ Hospital in Madison, Indiana, referred Audrey and her husband, Andrew, to Norton…
Intrauterine transfusion is an essential treatment for severe fetal anemia. The procedure is performed between 18 and 35 weeks after fetal ultrasound is suggestive of fetal anemia or hydrops. In a sterile environment, fetal blood is obtained via percutaneous umbilical blood sampling. Transfusion is recommended for a fetal hematocrit less than 30 cc, which can…