There are so many risk factors to take into account when deciding to have a baby; the need to take medication for a chronic condition adds an unavoidably stressful element to the mix. We went through this, knowing that the medications Cheryl was on added to the risks of birth defects to a non-trivial degree. We wrestled with the issue before having the kids, knowing that we were taking larger chance than normal of bringing children into the world who would have special needs. A very unfeeling genetic advisor with whom we met several years before Kelly came along was particularly harsh in her assessment of our chances of having a normal baby. Cheryl left that meeting in tears, and I with a rock in my stomach, considering the future with fear rather than hope.
Nevertheless, we took the chance, and Cheryl and her doctors chose medications that were the least likely to cause defects. Cheryl loaded up on folic acid to enahance early embrionic development and avoid spina bifida, a common affect of certain anti-seizure medications. Cheryl also went through lots of extra tests during both pregnancies (although no amniocentesis either time), and everything always turned out the way it should. Still, we held our breath all the way through until we could hold the kids in our arms and see for sure that they were healthy and normal. Because Downs Syndrome is another one of the primary birth defects caused by Cheryl's medications, seeing Kelly's red hair gave me a real scare until the APGAR tests came back perfect a few minutes later. Thankfully, both Kelly and Michael arrived in perfect condition, and they have been nothing but a blessing to us ever since.
Over time, Cheryl's old medications have lost their effectiveness. She has been on a slow crossfade to a new medication over the past couple of years. Our lives will probably follow that pattern: use a new drug for ten years or so until her body no longer responds to it, then transition to some new drug that was developed during the course of those years. I am glad that our child-bearing days are over, though, as word has just come down that Cheryl's primary drug now, Lamictal, is showing evidence that it causes birth defects to a significant degree. While nearly every drug carries with it an elevated risk of birth defects, these recent findings appear to be new and more serious than the usual increased risk.
Pregnancy, while usually a joyous time, is stressful enough without the mother knowing that something she must ingest for her own well-being could harm that young life growing inside her. We held our collective breath through both of our pregancies and were blessed with no complications. If we were in the position to have kids now, knowing of these elevated risks, I think the decision to proceed would be much more difficult than it was, and the pregancy itself would be much more scary. I feel bad for other women who must face these questions.
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2 comments:
Hmmm. Very interesting. I guess we can be glad that our family is complete. I'm wondering, though, Dave, what is the relationship between red hair and Down's Syndrome?
As it turns out, nothing. I feel kind of silly now, nine years later. Every Down's Syndrome kid I have ever known had red hair, and I thought I had read that red hair was characteristic of the condition. Doing some more research today, though, I can't find anyone who identifies a particular hair color as a notable characteristic. Odd.
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