Single Umbilical Artery - Redondo Beach,CA

I had this same thing with son number two (and posted a very similar question on here one the time). He is 7 months old and was born with minor drama and thriving and doing well. His drama at birth was mostly focused on the fact that I'm type one diabetic and he decided to make his appearance 5 weeks earlier than expected. I quizzed my high risk OB about whether the SUA contributed and he assured me it wasn't.

They will likely do another ultrasound sound to assure that his other vitals are growing normally (I think, according to info I got) because SUA mostly effects the blood flow to the heart and brain, due to being one artery short. They can see how much blood flow is going to these organs on the follow up ultrasound.

I know it sounds SO SCARY and the info on the internet only makes you even more terrified. My OB tried to make sure I stayed as calm as possible and didn't become completely overwhelmed. Most babies born with SUA turn out just fine and have no other medical issues. If you're able to, go to my name and view my previous questions...If I rememeber correctly, I got some REALLY useful info in my responses.

Take a deep breath momma and try to relax okay. It won't do you any good to freak out and contemplate worse case scenarios.

My sister in law had the same thing AND she delivered her baby at home - no issues. She went on and had another baby at home less than 2 year later with 2 UAs.

I'm glad to read the answers from the other moms with positive outcomes and I hope all goes well with you and your baby. However, my story is not positive, and all those scary things can come true. Please schedule a VERY comprehensive ultrasound and check everything there is to check from the brain to toes to make sure everything is ok. Then you can relax.

My sister had SUA. My nephew is pretty healthy now. The only complication he had was fluid on the kidney. He is now 21 months. Each visit the fluid has been clearing up little by little. He had to take daily antibiotics for about a year or so. Other than that he seems to be fine.

I wish you the best of luck.

One of my close girlfriend's had this issue, but it was not discovered until 36 weeks. Baby was born super healthy & still is (almost 3 yrs old). Take care!

M.: My daughter was diagnosed with SUA when she was 22wks, yes scary stuff that you see on the internet and what the doctors tell you can happen, but if you research it then you will be better prepared to ask the questions you need too as the pregnancy progresses. Dont stress about it. Just make sure the Doctors are giving you as much information about your babys progress as possible. They will keep a close eye on baby as they did with my daughter. My daughter opted for not having an amnio for fear of a M/C and so everything that came up had to be seen through the ultrasound. I too did a lot of research and asked questions everytime she had a visit with the doctor. The doctor did tell my daughter that the baby could come a little early and also he could come underweight due to lack of nutrients later in the pregnancy. He was born, 35 1/2 weeks, borderline premie and he was 5.10lbs when he was born, but he was also 19 inch long. He was gorgeous. He will be 3 years old in about 2 weeks now and he is a healthy 40 lbs and is over 3 ft tall. Yes his mom is tall also. You would never know to see him that he was so small when he was born. He has a few little issues, like a lazy eye (correctable) and a slight limp, also correctable with therapy, but the doctors cant say that it was because of the SUA. He was born with a scar in his retna but they say, that is more common in premiees, never the less he is a healthy beautiful gorgeous rambunctious little daredevil with a glowing spirit. I am sure your little one will also be fine. you will love your baby so much when he/she is here, I promise!

My sister's second pregnancy had this condition. I now have a healthy 2 year old niece. Yes, the stuff online is scary, but from what I was reading, the "scary" stuff can be further diagnosed with subsequent ultrasounds. The single umbilical artery condition can exist when there are other conditions that will be verified with blood tests and ultrasounds. So, just do the tests your doctor is recommending. My sister's further ultrasounds looked pretty good, except for some kind of arrhythmia in the baby's heart. Her baby had to be seen several times in her first 2 years to verify that her heart is OK, and she is fine. No problems at all. She was a small baby, but all of my sister's 3 babies were less than 6 pounds at birth, so I think that was because my sister makes small babies. Don't stress too much. Chances are your baby will be just fine!