Mirror Syndrome: A rare disorder affecting pregnant woman

Did you know that there is a pregnancy problem in which mother manifests what the fetus is undergoing while inside the uterus? It is called as MIRROR Syndrome or Ballantine Syndrome or Maternal Hydrops.

This is a rare disorder in pregnancy.

What is maternal mirror syndrome? This problem occurs when a pregnant woman has fetal hydropic, which is abnormal accumulation of fluid in two or more fetal compartments. The disorder gets its name because the mother suffers the same symptoms as the sick fetus. She will become ill and have signs of preeclampsia: water retention, high blood pressure and protein in the urine. When this happens, doctors monitor the mother for maternal mirror syndrome. The syndrome is dangerous for both the expectant mother and her fetus. There have been cases in which the fetus died...[con't]

How does maternal mirror syndrome occur? Maternal mirror syndrome is caused by problems related to fluid retention such as fluid in the sac where the baby develops. The syndrome occurs when there is an unusually high amount of fluid in the fetal tissues. There have been various studies on this rare syndrome and what exactly causes it to occur.

What are the symptoms of maternal mirror syndrome? If an expectant mother has the syndrome, she may show symptoms include vomiting, swelling and/or fluid accumulation in her lungs. She will have to receive urgent treatment from medical professionals which could include an emergency cesarean section.

What are the risks of maternal mirror syndrome? An expectant mother with maternal mirror syndrome could suffer from bladder obstruction, bladder rupture and urine in the abdominal cavity. There is also a chance that the unborn baby could die.

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Fetus in Fetu

I had received a forwarded email lately about a baby who had a growing fetus inside. I first heard this one when I was a clinical instructor. One of my students in OB/GYN exposure submitted a related reading with regards to this rare case.

They called it "fetus in fetu" in which one twin becomes trapped inside another during pregnancy and continues to grow.

Fetus in fetu is a developmental abnormality containing entire organ systems, even major body parts such as torso or limbs.

A fetus in fetu is alive in the sense that any healthy organ is alive. Its cells are alive, and its organs have a working blood supply from the host. However, a fetus in fetu is not capable of life outside its host: It sometimes has no functional brain, heart, lungs, gastrointestinal tract, or urinary tract.

More interesting posts: Real SUPERHUMANS! Hypergraphia: people who can't stop writing! Paralyzed and Pregnant!