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Improving life before it begins
22 July 2014
Investigación y Desarrollo
A group of Mexican specialists in fetal medicine have successfully performed over 200 surgeries on unborn babies, inside the womb of the mother. Doctors, grouped under the signature Fetal Medicine Mexico, ensure that this clinical method increases life quality life and decreases chances of high risk babies being born with a condition.
According to Antonio González Méndez, an expert on fetal ultrasound diagnostic procedures and minimal surgical invasion, fetal medicine represents a viable solution to combat diseases in babies like severe anemia, aortic stenosis (a condition that decreases the flow of blood to the heart); pulmonary atresia, which causes the pulmonary valve to not form properly; urinary obstruction (formation of mega-bladder impossibility of expulsing fluids), obstruction of the larynx, trachea or bronchi, among other complications.
When questioned about clinical success, achieved thanks to the prenatal surgery by Fetal Medicine Mexico, Méndez González said that regarding a condition known as fetofetal transfusion syndrome, specialists in this group have actually done clotting anastomosis within the mother's womb.
"The fetofetal transfusion in twin fetuses implies that they are fighting each other for blood to their body, so an imbalance arises; an unborn baby is bigger than the other and has a much larger urinary bladder, causing the smaller to stop urinating and encapsulate within the mother's womb,” he explained.
Given a complication as fetofetal transfusion syndrome, ultrasound specialists use high-tech equipment (ultrasound) to locate anastomosis, ie connections between two structures of both unborn babies. Subsequently, with the help of ultra-fine surgical equipment such interjections coagulate, thereby having increased survival to 70 percent in both unborn babies and 90 percent chances in survival of at least one.
Although Mexico Fetal Medicine Group, located in Queretaro, has established itself as a cross reference for prenatal health in the country, Méndez González recognizes that there is a lack of prenatal drug culture among Mexican parents. "Generally the pregnancy situation is consulted to gynecologists, who are not necessarily specialists in fetal medicine. Lacking experience in this discipline, sometimes the detection of health problems is too late for the baby," said the specialist at Fetal Medicine Mexico.
In the words of the medical specialist, consolidating a cross reference in fetal medicine in the country has positive effects such as the accumulation of knowledge and experience to practice and investigate medicine in unborn babies. Méndez González noted that the emergence of ultrasound changed the way people see pregnancy as the unborn baby began to be considered as a patient in need of its own care.
The specialist physician said that in order to increase the medical possibilities of fetal medicine, fetal medicine experts Mexico Groups have developed several lines of research on neurological fetal life prediction. Mendez Gonzalez said that Fetal Medicine Mexico is a full advanced engineering research in prenatal medicine.
"We work with the health sector in the state of Querétaro, and with the Institute of Neurobiology at the Autonomous National Mexican University (UNAM). Additionally we maintain a synergy with the Children's Hospital and the General Hospital of Mexico,” said the medical-researcher.