Experts: Foetal defects correctable

Dar es Salaam. Gynaecologists from the Aga Khan University Hospital in Nairobi say up to 90 per cent of foetal anomalies can be detected early in pregnancy through ultrasound scans, blood tests and amniotic fluid screening where necessary.

The foetal abnormalities can negatively affect the physical or mental development of the child, adding that in some cases deaths may occur either in the womb, immediately after birth or later in life.

In a statement released yesterday by Dr Sikolia Wanyonyi, the Consultant Obstetrician Gynaecologist and Foetal Medicine Specialist and Prof Marleen Temmerman, the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology chairperson at Aga Khan University Hospital in Nairobi, antenatal care was critical in detecting and correcting foetal abnormalities during pregnancy.

“Once pregnancy is confirmed, a woman should seek antenatal care within the first two to three months of pregnancy. Several prenatal tests are then carried out to determine the presence of infection or other conditions that may be harmful to the fetus or the woman,” read part of the statement.