Hydrops foetalis

Wat is hydrops foetalis?

Gevraagd door: Alex Bulut MPhil  |  Laatste update: 17 juli 2025
Score: 4.4/5 (14 stemmen)

The way HbH disease presents varies greatly between patients. Alpha-thalassemia major (or hydrops fetalis) occurs when 4 of the 4 alpha-globulin genes are defective. This condition is incompatible with life.

What is the main cause of hydrops fetalis?

This is a condition in which mother who has Rh negative blood type makes antibodies to her baby's Rh positive blood cells, and the antibodies cross the placenta. Rh incompatibility causes a large number of red blood cells in the fetus to be destroyed (also known as hemolytic disease of the newborn).

Can babies survive fetal hydrops?

What are possible complications of hydrops fetalis? The severe swelling that occurs with hydrops can overwhelm the baby's organ systems. About 50% of unborn babies with hydrops don't survive. Risks for other problems are also high for babies born with hydrops.

What is the life expectancy of a hydrops fetalis?

The long-term outcome for babies born with NIHF varies. Of all the cases that are diagnosed during pregnancy, only about 20% will survive to delivery. Approximately half of these cases will die during the first month of life; however, research is showing that the outlook for babies who do survive is very optimistic.

What is the mode of delivery for hydrops fetalis?

Although there was increased survival in PHIOMoD class I and II patients and reduced survival in class III and IV patients, vaginal delivery remains the preferred mode of delivery for pregnancies complicated by hydrops fetalis.

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How to prevent hydrops in pregnancy?

In most cases, but not all, RhoGAM can be given during pregnancy to prevent immune hydrops. Both fetal anemia and immune hydrops are treated with in utero transfusions that deliver blood to the fetus through the umbilical cord.

Can hydrops resolve itself?

A case report of hydrops fetalis characterized by ascites and scalp edema of unknown etiology is described. The hydrops developed at 24 weeks and resolved completely without treatment resulting in a live born infant at term.

Can hydrops cause Down syndrome?

Down syndrome rarely presents with fetal hydrops and anemia. Therefore, when hydrops and anemia are diagnosed, especially in the second trimester of gestation, the possibility of Down syndrome should be kept in mind.

Which virus causes fetal hydrops?

A variety of infectious agents have been associated with nonimmune hydrops fetalis, most notably parvovirus B19, cytomegalovirus, herpes simplex virus, Toxoplasma gondii, and Treponema pallidum. These agents produce hydrops through effects on fetal bone marrow, myocardium, or vascular endothelium.

Is fetal hydrops genetic?

Non-immune hydrops fetalis can be caused by a variety of factors, including genetic disorders, cardiac structural anomaly or arrythmia, infection, complications in a twin pregnancy with shared placenta, congenital structural anomalies, and fetal or placental tumors.

What does it mean if my unborn baby has a big tummy?

A sonographically large fetal stomach has been associated with gastrointestinal obstruction, per case reports, and is often followed up with serial ultrasound examinations.

Is fetal hydrops rare?

Key Points to Remember. Hydrops fetalis, or fetal hydrops, is a rare but serious condition where fluid builds up in two or more areas of a baby's body, leading to severe swelling. This condition can be life-threatening and requires specialized care.

What are the outcomes of fetal hydrops?

Hydrops fetalis carries a high risk of perinatal mortality. Rates of miscarriage and stillbirth are high. A recent review of 361 cases of nonimmune hydrops fetalis identified during pregnancy in Austria found that 51 cases (14%) ended in miscarriage and 33 cases (9%) ended in stillbirth.

Can a baby with hydrops live a normal life?

The prognosis for a baby with hydrops depends on the severity of the condition and the underlying cause. In some babies, hydrops can be treated effectively, and they can recover. However, hydrops can be life-threatening and may lead to death.

How long does it take for hydrops to heal?

Acute corneal hydrops is self-limiting, with or without treatment, and tends to resolve over the course of three to four months as Descemet's membrane re-seals. Depending on the size of the break and the patient's risk of corneal infection or neovascularization, time to complete healing may be extended.

Can COVID cause hydrops?

In their case, viral RNA was identified in the amniotic fluid, and the S proteins were detected in the fetal membranes 5 weeks after the mother recovered from SARS-CoV-2 infection, concluding that hydrops fetalis and intrauterine fetal demise were caused by the congenital transmission of COVID-19 [23].

How to reduce hydrops?

How is endolymphatic hydrops managed? As with Ménière's disease, reducing caffeine and alcohol may be helpful in managing your symptoms. Keeping hydrated and maintaining a balanced diet (lowering salt and sugar intake) is also considered beneficial.

Can you see hydrops in ultrasound?

Ultrasonographic findings (see the images below) are often reliably helpful in the diagnosis of the disease causing fetal hydrops, especially in fetuses in whom a chest mass or cardiac disease is present. However, in many fetuses, an exact etiology is not forthcoming after an ultrasonographic examination.

Can hydrops resolve on its own?

Non-immune hydrops fetalis (NIHF) is a symptom of other underlying complications during pregnancy, such as lymphatic dysplasia and cardiovascular, hematologic, and chromosomal disorders. The incidence of spontaneous resolution of NIHF is 5.7% and mostly occurs in cases of known etiology.

What is the life expectancy of someone with hydrops fetalis?

Long-term prognosis is guarded. These babies are critically ill even if they do survive to birth. Of the fetuses diagnosed prenatally, only about 20 percent survive to delivery. Of this number, approximately half will survive the neonatal period.

What is the genetic cause of fetal hydrops?

Genetic Heterogeneity of Hydrops Fetalis

Almost all of these cases result from homozygous deletion of the HBA1 (141800) and HBA2 (141850) genes. A few cases have been reported that had 1 apparently normal alpha-globin gene, termed the hemoglobin H (613978) hydrops fetalis syndrome (summary by Chui and Waye, 1998).

What infections can cause hydrops?

Among the infectious etiologies, the most common causes are cytomegalovirus (CMV), toxoplasmosis, syphilis, and B19V infection. Infectious causes of hydrops fetalis are as follows: B19V. CMV.

What organs does COVID affect the most?

In persons who develop clinical illness in response to SARS-CoV-2, the respiratory system is the most commonly affected. However, the virus can affect any organ in the body.

What is the most serious complication of COVID?

Complications of severe COVID-19 illness can include:
  • Acute respiratory distress syndrome, when the body's organs do not get enough oxygen.
  • Shock caused by the infection or heart problems.
  • Overreaction of the immune system, called the inflammatory response.
  • Blood clots.
  • Kidney injury.