When Evan was born he was perfect in every way. Our pregnancy, labor and delivery were absolutely perfect. I thought, “This can’t be any more perfect!” After my “baby high” wore off at the birth center, I noticed there was something a bit different about Evan’s right hand. I kept thinking that he had somehow got himself tangled in his umbilical cord because there were little "strings" hanging from his fingers.
The midwives did a great job of hiding it during our initial snuggle time so I didn’t notice it and freak out. He has what’s called Amniotic Band Syndrome. We also discovered that the ABS had caused Evan to have somewhat of a club foot/leg as well.
I was nervous at first because I had no idea what to expect when we took him home. Would he have to have surgery? Would they amputate his fingers? Would they have to break his leg? Would he be ok? I went crazy doing all kinds of research to get as much information as I could. Amniotic Band Syndrome is not very common, but not uncommon at the same time. “It occurs in about 1 in 1,200 live births, but is also believed to be the cause of 178 in 10,000 miscarriages. Up to 50% of cases have other congenital anomalies including cleft lip, cleft palate, and clubfoot deformity.” The Amniotic Band Syndrome link has some good information that you should check out as well. :)
We made an appointment with Evan’s pediatrician right away. She referred us to an orthopedic doctor @ the Brighton Health Center (A branch of U of M Children’s Hospital). We go see them May 3rd for our first consultation. Hopefully they will tell us that Evan will only need minimal surgery and possibly a brace to straighten out his leg. I guess we will just have to wait and see. :)
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| 5 days old |
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