Friend's baby born with birth defects

[spots]

I just bumped into a friend's dh and was desparate to hear how her C-section went today. But he was shaking his head even before he began telling me as their wee boy was saying 'Doyou know what? It's BABY DAY today and we've got a new baby called... um...' So new he hadn't even got her name memorised yet! (he's 3). Anyway the baby has been born with fingers and toes not separated and 'something funny about her head... and maybe her eyes...' They are obviously just fresh from this news and the DH was still v. shaky so I didn't ask a lot more. But I keep thinking about it and wanting to know more. Has anything similar happened to any babies around here? Does it sound like a 'condition' of some sort, or just a physical glitch maybe requiring surgery or something?

It's quite lovely at the same time, they so wanted a girl and really thought it was a boy!

[JoolsToo]

hope things turn out to be not so bad for them spots. I'll bet she's beautiful

[LIZS]

How sad for them. This is real stab in the dark but wonder if it could be a condition called Goldenhar syndrome which we only heard of on reading dd's notes when we moved dr. She has a dermoid cyst in her eye (benign)which apparently is a feature of it but she doesn't have any others so think it was ruled out without any discussion with us. Other signs, we discovered on Googling, might include webbed digits which curiously I have partially and my mum and her cousin have a couple of completely webbed toes. Hopefully the prognosis for this little girl is not as bad as it first seems.

[spots]

Thanks LIZS, if it's that I'll know where to get more info. So does your dd actually have this, or did one doctor just make the link between her cyst and the condition? Hopefully friends' dd is not extreme anything, tho as I say I don't know much at this stage... and I am needless to say v. much looking forward to meeting her! I know her Downs' probability was higher than normal so wonder if that has a bearing on anything??

[LIZS]

afaik she doesn't have it. It was suggested in a letter from an opthamologist to her paediatrician when she was about 2 months old. The letter is in German (we were in Switzerland at the time) and my ability doesn't really stretch to translating it accurately ! Having said that he had only examined her in passing (he kept us waiting and he was not very baby friendly). It was never mentioned directly to us either then or since so assume it was ruled out. She is now a happy, healthy 4 yr old mischief by the way, who just happens to have a blemish on the white of her eye. We will eventually have to make a decision as to whether to have it removed.

I'm sure your friends' dd is beautiful whatever problems may lie ahead.

[spots]

Glad she doesn't suffer all the horrible things suggested in the website! she sounds great fun.

[rickman]

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[spots]

Thanks rickman shall check it out.

[spots]

Rickman, certainly from the little I know the characteristics appear pretty similar. Would be v. interested to hear about your friend's wee boy if you have a chance to post.

[rickman]

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[spots]

Maybe I shouldn't jump the gun too much here... I'll wait and see if it actually is AS and if it's ok I'll know you might have experience of it?

[rickman]

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