Q: I am 28 years old now and last month I gave birth to a baby through caesarean section. The baby girl had no hands and one of her legs was smaller than the other. Also, she had kidney and heart problems. She finally died. I am in a state of shock. Why did my daughter have these problems? She was conceived through artificial insemination done at home, in which some sperms fell on the ground and my husband picked them up and inserted them inside the vagina through an empty syringe. Could this be the reason behind the abnormalities? The doctor says that this is not the reason and it could have happened due to some genetic abnormality or drug use. Why was this abnormality not detected in the 11 sonographies conducted by the doctor?

A:It is indeed sad that you lost your baby. It is difficult to assign a reason for these abnormalities. The reason that you are assuming is not likely. This is more like a chromosomal abnormality that had affected multiple organ systems. Some of these abnormalities can be detected on a prenatal ultrasound scan. But much depends on the expertise and experience of the ultrasonologist.