A foetal medicine scanning centre at Indira Gandhi Institute of Child Health in Bengaluru.
Credit: DH Photo
Bengaluru: Down Syndrome and heart defects are two of the most common genetic defects detected in unborn children at Indira Gandhi Institute of Child Health, which established a foetal medicine branch in September.
It is the first government hospital to offer the facility, which was hitherto available only in private hospitals. It has scanned over 100 pregnant women.
The hospital also houses the Center of Excellence for Rare Diseases (COERD) in India.
Once a genetic defect is detected, parents can make informed decisions about continuing or terminating the pregnancy, doctors said.
“There are two kinds of patients. Those referred from other hospitals come here after defects are found during routine scans or blood tests. These are called soft markers. We focus on the soft makers and identify the defects,” Dr Sanjeeva G N, professor for paediatrics and nodal officer for COERD, told DH.
“Then there are parents who have one or the other disability. If either of them has any issue, it is advised that the unborn child is checked to avoid complications”.
While doctors recommend early scans to avoid complications in pregnancy terminations, some detections can only be done when the foetus grows.
“Initial scans sometimes do not show any deformities, but as the foetus grows, it is detected. We have had complications detected in 26 weeks as well,” he said.
After the scans and tests, results take two to three weeks, he added. In India, abortions are allowed up to 20 weeks and 24 weeks, for women with different instances, with the approval of two doctors.
If the foetus is older than 26 weeks, pregnancy termination requires permission from Karnataka Medical Board located in Vani Vilas hospital and staffed by a gynaecologist, radiologist, paediatrician and a lawyer.
The foetal medicine branch was opened under the CSR initiative of Karnataka Power Transmission Corporation Limited.