Well... everything came back within the normal range. So, no real answers. The only not-really-elevated but just-in-case was a homocysteine of 11. (Normal is anything under 13) So extra folic acid and B6 and B12 for me - "just in case."
The uber-OB didn't think it had been a factor with William... but a study I found said:
The researchers found that women with the highest levels of homocysteine (greater than 10.7 micromol/L) had an adjusted risk for preeclampsia (pregnancy-related hypertension) which was 38 per cent higher than the risk among the women with the lowest levels of homocysteine (3.6-7.5 micromol/L). The risk of giving birth to a very low birth weight baby (weight less than 1500 grams) was 101 per cent higher among high homocysteine women and the risk of stillbirth 103 per cent higher.
So who knows?
10 comments:
Glad you got the results today. I was hoping to see you post today.
Sending hugs...
i am so very sorry for the loss of your baby boy.i found you on mothering and read through your blog. it is heart-renching and real. thank you for sharing. and your letter to the doctors was AWESOME. thank you for that info, BTW, i had no idea that more babies die from stillbirths than SIDS. there should be a national outcry! that is ridiculous that here i am in my fourth pregnancy having no IDEA about that level of risks, and not really knowing much about kick counts either..I pray for your and your family's healing mama..
liz
I hope this new found knowledge is sitting well with you Mama. I hope it helps you with big decisions as you move forward through this hell.
It does all sound "positive", well as positive as things can be after we have lost a precious and much longed for baby.
For all that the doctors know, I feel as there is so much more that they don't know. I hope the folic acid and extra B vitamins give you some peace of mind the next time around. I am sorry you didn't get a straightforward answer.
I think it's interesting that you and I both had late term loss, smaller than average babies, and both seem to be on or close to the borderline of known problems-- APS for me, elevated (but maybe not?) homocysteine for you. Makes me wonder if their "range of normal" is based on women who have more severe cases (and earlier losses) and if the range of normal should be adjusted to account more for those of us who may be on the fringe. Food for thought...
We never got any real results either... sometimes it helps knowing there was nothing I ate or didn't eat, etc but sometimes I wish I knew the why's for next time.
Even when knowing a reason for the loss of a little baby, there's always another why - well why did that happen? and why did that happen to cause that other thing to happen? Why isn't my baby here with me? I hope that your new results offer you some peace. Thinking of your little William.
J - I agree. I think they're missing stuff they could be testing for.
UGH!! I'm sorry you still don't know! I'm sorry that you have to be the one doing the research and not your OB.
I also had a full term loss and very low weight baby and have MTHFR which by definition inhibits the ability to process folate and raises homocysteine levels. I wish you had more concrete answers. The "whys" can be oh so overwhelming.
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