“We received a phone call from my OB/GYN's office. They said, 'There is something on or around your daughter's neck. You need to come in to have another ultrasound done.' Right then and there everything changed,” says Mattie.
Mattie and her partner, Joe, both of Glen Carbon, IL, were devastated to hear their baby who was still in the womb, a girl they planned to name Madalyn, had an unusual neck mass that needed further evaluation. They were then referred to the SSM Health St. Louis Fetal Care Institute.
“My OB/GYN told me mine was a high-risk pregnancy that his staff couldn't handle and referred us to the team at the St. Louis Fetal Care Institute. I was very frightened because I didn't know what to expect. We had a ton of ultrasounds until they could finally say what was wrong – cystic hygroma,” says Mattie.
Cystic hygromas are abnormal growths that usually appear on a baby’s neck or head. They are fluid-filled sacs caused by blockages in the lymphatic system, consisting of one or more cysts. They often get larger over time. These hygromas occur in approximately one percent of fetuses.
In Madalyn’s case, the hygroma had the possibility of limiting breathing when she was born. The team had to carefully monitor her fetal development to work toward the best possible outcomes at delivery. Because Madalyn could have trouble breathing when she was delivered, the team planned for an EXIT (Ex Utero Intrapartum Treatment) delivery.
The purpose of an EXIT delivery is to provide the necessary intervention to the baby before the umbilical cord is cut, to allow for a more stable transition from placental circulation to newborn circulation. During the procedure, the mother is placed under general anesthesia. The delivery is initiated similar to a cesarean section; however, a special device is used to open the uterus and prevent uterine bleeding at the same time. The baby’s head and arms are delivered. Monitors are placed on the baby and IV access is obtained. The baby remains attached to the placenta, which serves as life support while the surgeons, neonatologists and cardiologists perform the necessary procedures to stabilize the baby and ensure an airway is clear.
Mattie said her pregnancy went well, but the delivery itself scared her. “I'd never had surgery so I didn't know what to expect. I went in at 5 a.m. on Dec. 27, 2012, to have an EXIT procedure done,” she says.
At 7:30 a.m., when she was being wheeled away to surgery, Mattie remembers her mom telling her to say a Hail Mary and Joe's dad giving her a high five, and then Joe crying and asking if he could give her one more kiss. “All I could do was cry,” she says.
Madalyn Rose was born at 8:43 a.m. She weighed 7 pounds, 12 ounces and looked absolutely beautiful. Dr. Dary Costa, the division director of Ear, Nose and Throat/ Otolaryngology at SSM Cardinal Glennon Children's Medical Center was present to evaluate Madalyn's airway and place a breathing tube before she was delivered. Then, Joe had the chance to say hello before the team of neonatologists began to assess her well-being.
The Fetal Care Institute team told Mattie and Joe that the treatment plan depended on Madalyn. If she struggled with breathing, she was to have surgery right away. Luckily Madalyn had no breathing issues and didn't need surgery until five months later to remove the cyst.
Properly handling a cystic hygroma depends on close monitoring. The team needs to have as much information as possible to facilitate the safest delivery possible. The EXIT procedure ensured that Madalyn had a clear and secure airway.
Today, Madalyn is healthy, happy and smart. Mattie says, “Madalyn is the most intelligent little girl -- they say she's at a three-year-old level, and she is barely two. Plus, she is very polite and caring. She attends preschool and absolutely loves it, and also loves the outdoors. She's a fighter.”
She continues, “One thing I learned from this experience is to just accept situations you can't control. I realized I couldn't change anything except the way I personally handled the issue. We'd choose the St. Louis Fetal Care Institute again, and I'd tell any family you're in good hands with the Fetal Care Institute. We couldn't have asked for a better group to help with our very first child, Madalyn Rose.”
Mattie and her partner, Joe, both of Glen Carbon, IL, were devastated to hear their baby who was still in the womb, a girl they planned to name Madalyn, had an unusual neck mass that needed further evaluation. They were then referred to the SSM Health St. Louis Fetal Care Institute.
“My OB/GYN told me mine was a high-risk pregnancy that his staff couldn't handle and referred us to the team at the St. Louis Fetal Care Institute. I was very frightened because I didn't know what to expect. We had a ton of ultrasounds until they could finally say what was wrong – cystic hygroma,” says Mattie.Cystic hygromas are abnormal growths that usually appear on a baby’s neck or head. They are fluid-filled sacs caused by blockages in the lymphatic system, consisting of one or more cysts. They often get larger over time. These hygromas occur in approximately one percent of fetuses.
In Madalyn’s case, the hygroma had the possibility of limiting breathing when she was born. The team had to carefully monitor her fetal development to work toward the best possible outcomes at delivery. Because Madalyn could have trouble breathing when she was delivered, the team planned for an EXIT (Ex Utero Intrapartum Treatment) delivery.
The purpose of an EXIT delivery is to provide the necessary intervention to the baby before the umbilical cord is cut, to allow for a more stable transition from placental circulation to newborn circulation. During the procedure, the mother is placed under general anesthesia. The delivery is initiated similar to a cesarean section; however, a special device is used to open the uterus and prevent uterine bleeding at the same time. The baby’s head and arms are delivered. Monitors are placed on the baby and IV access is obtained. The baby remains attached to the placenta, which serves as life support while the surgeons, neonatologists and cardiologists perform the necessary procedures to stabilize the baby and ensure an airway is clear.
Mattie said her pregnancy went well, but the delivery itself scared her. “I'd never had surgery so I didn't know what to expect. I went in at 5 a.m. on Dec. 27, 2012, to have an EXIT procedure done,” she says.
At 7:30 a.m., when she was being wheeled away to surgery, Mattie remembers her mom telling her to say a Hail Mary and Joe's dad giving her a high five, and then Joe crying and asking if he could give her one more kiss. “All I could do was cry,” she says.
Madalyn Rose was born at 8:43 a.m. She weighed 7 pounds, 12 ounces and looked absolutely beautiful. Dr. Dary Costa, the division director of Ear, Nose and Throat/ Otolaryngology at SSM Cardinal Glennon Children's Medical Center was present to evaluate Madalyn's airway and place a breathing tube before she was delivered. Then, Joe had the chance to say hello before the team of neonatologists began to assess her well-being.
The Fetal Care Institute team told Mattie and Joe that the treatment plan depended on Madalyn. If she struggled with breathing, she was to have surgery right away. Luckily Madalyn had no breathing issues and didn't need surgery until five months later to remove the cyst.
Properly handling a cystic hygroma depends on close monitoring. The team needs to have as much information as possible to facilitate the safest delivery possible. The EXIT procedure ensured that Madalyn had a clear and secure airway.
Today, Madalyn is healthy, happy and smart. Mattie says, “Madalyn is the most intelligent little girl -- they say she's at a three-year-old level, and she is barely two. Plus, she is very polite and caring. She attends preschool and absolutely loves it, and also loves the outdoors. She's a fighter.”
She continues, “One thing I learned from this experience is to just accept situations you can't control. I realized I couldn't change anything except the way I personally handled the issue. We'd choose the St. Louis Fetal Care Institute again, and I'd tell any family you're in good hands with the Fetal Care Institute. We couldn't have asked for a better group to help with our very first child, Madalyn Rose.”
