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What happens when a couple has a baby with cystic fibrosis and wants to have another child? Marian and Gerard share their experience in this new informative capsule.
Do we want to go through a second diagnosis again?
A little over a year ago, Marian and Gerard decided to give Ona, a beautiful 3-year-old girl with cystic fibrosis, a little brother or sister. Although they were sure they wanted more children, they did not want to go through another CF diagnosis.
What does public healthcare offer us in these cases?
Marian y Gerard researched thoroughly and discovered that the public health system offers parents who have had children with a genetic disease the option of in vitro fertilization with preimplantation diagnosis.
They explained the process to them. First, they began with tests that revealed Marian’s ovarian reserve was a little low, which reduced the chances of success. Once they thought she would no longer be able to get pregnant, as they were about to start hormone treatment, they were surprised to find that she was pregnant naturally.
Screening for CF in the fetus
Once they reached this point, they wanted to check that the fetus did not have CF. There are two options for doing this:
- Chorionic villus sampling, which is performed in week 12. This involves a small sample being taken from the placenta via the vagina. Depending on the position of the placenta, there may be an increased risk of miscarriage after the sample is taken. After an examination, the placenta was found to be very high up, which meant there was a significant risk. Given that Mendel’s laws state that there was a 75% chance that the fetus would not have any mutations (25%) or would be a healthy carrier (50%), they decided not to risk this test and move on to the next one.
- Amniocentesis, performed in week 16. During the waiting period between weeks 12 and 16, the couple was overcome with anxiety. When week 16 arrived, they underwent the test, which involves taking a sample from the placenta, in this case through the abdomen rather than vaginally. The only problem is that the wait to find out the results is three long weeks.
The importance of going hand in hand
One of the possible drawbacks in this situation is that there may be differing opinions when it comes to choosing what to do. Although Marian and Gerard were clear about their decision from the outset, they admit that they had doubts during the process. Fortunately, in the end, they did not have to make a decision because Dalia was a completely healthy baby.
#TogetheragainstCF
