Question

A premature baby born 42 days early, now 7 months old, was diagnosed with spina bifida and underwent surgery within two days of birth. The current follow-up results show the presence of moderate hydrops fetalis and poor brain development. Is surgical treatment necessary for moderate hydrops fetalis?

Answer

Hypoxemia and ischemia may lead to circulatory and gas exchange disorders between the mother and fetus, or cause neonatal hypotension and venous congestion, leading to brain damage and resulting in cerebral palsy. These conditions may originate from the following factors:

  1. Maternal factors: such as pregnancy-induced hypertension syndrome, heart failure, massive hemorrhage, anemia, shock, or drug abuse.
  2. Placental abnormalities: such as early placental abruption, placenta previa, placental infarction, or poor placental function.