Patient's question:
My wife has only been pregnant for 15 weeks now. Today, when she went for a thorough check-up, the doctor said the baby has a single umbilical artery and asked us to decide for ourselves. Can a child with a single umbilical artery be kept? The kind of help needed: Can a child with a single umbilical artery be kept?Doctor's answer:
When a single umbilical artery is detected, it is necessary to prepare for fetal chromosome testing and a comprehensive magnetic resonance examination to rule out fetal abnormalities. If the chromosomes are normal and the periodic magnetic resonance examination does not indicate any external fetal deformities, it is reassuring to proceed with birth. Generally, the fetus is healthy. Can a child with a single umbilical artery be kept? Typically, a normal umbilical cord consists of two arteries and one vein. When there is a single umbilical artery, the cord has only one artery, which is a type of umbilical cord developmental abnormality. A single umbilical artery may be associated with fetal chromosome abnormalities or abnormal development of fetal organs.