Phoenix, AZ— June 20, 2004— According to a research paper on vasa previa published in the May edition of Obstetrics & Gynecology, the official journal of the American College of Obstetricians & Gynecologists, when the diagnosis of vasa previa was made prenatally, more than 96% of infants survived, whereas more than half of all infants died when the there was no prenatal diagnosis.
 
In pregnancies complicated by vasa previa, more than half of all infants die when the there is no prenatal diagnosis. 
Deaths caused by vasa previa are potentially preventable if diagnosed prenatally via transvaginal color Doppler ultrasound.
 
Amy Gaghagen, President of the International Vasa Previa Foundation stated, “This study, being the largest ever attempted on vasa previa, is proof positive that prenatal diagnosis is vital for survival of this condition.  The International Vasa Previa Foundation hopes it will have far reaching effects in saving infant lives.”
 
According to Yinka Oyelese, MD, lead author of the research paper, “There is probably no other condition in which prenatal diagnosis makes such a tremendous difference between death and survival. This is the largest study of vasa previa ever performed, and was published in May 2004 in Obstetrics & Gynecology. The study would have been impossible but for our  partnership with the IVPF, which maintains a worldwide database of cases of vasa previa.  The IVPF played a pivotal role in the study, and  was instrumental in providing records and information of women from around the world whose pregnancies had been affected by vasa previa. The objective was to evaluate outcomes and predictors of neonatal survival in pregnancies complicated by vasa previa and to compare outcomes in prenatally diagnosed cases of vasa previa with those not diagnosed prenatally.  The most striking finding was that when the diagnosis was made prenatally, more than 96% of infants survived, whereas more than half of all infants died when the there was no prenatal diagnosis.”   
 
Sonographic prenatal diagnosis and careful perinatal management have the potential to prevent the overwhelming majority of fatal outcomes with vasa previa.
Good outcomes with vasa previa depend on prenatal diagnosis and cesarean delivery at 35 weeks gestation. In very few conditions does prenatal diagnosis lead to such a dramatic improvement of outcomes. 
 
Routine placental cord insertion location can be incorporated into the routine scan
Previous studies have demonstrated that prenatal diagnosis of vasa previa is feasible. Nomiyama and colleagues using U/S, attempted to routinely locate the insertion of the umbilical cord into the placenta in 667 women. They were able to do this in all cases except one and diagnosed 3 cases of vasa previa.  These investigators found that it took a mean time of less than 20 seconds to identify the placental cord insertion ultrasonographically and that in 95% of cases it took less than a minute.

About IVPF
The International Vasa Previa Foundation (IVPF), established in January 2001, consists of women and families who have been affected by pregnancies with vasa previa. Its mission is to raise awareness about vasa previa, to disseminate information on the condition, and to facilitate research aimed at further understanding of vasa previa with the aim of minimizing the perinatal mortality from the condition.
 
The International Vasa Previa Foundation will be attending the American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine (AIUM) Conference in the interest of working with AIUM to further awareness of vasa previa, its risk factors, testing, and management.

The International Vasa Previa Foundation (IVPF) was established in January 2001 by parents and families affected by vasa previa to raise awareness of vasa previa and to prevent fatal outcomes.  The IVPF agrees that vasa previa can, but should not be, a devastating complication of pregnancy. Despite its severity, it is commonly unrecognized by women, midwifes, and obstetricians. Despite the technology existing to detect vasa previa prenatally, it is rarely diagnosed prior to the onset of labor and sometimes, fatal decisions are made during labor and delivery.

For more information contact the International Vasa Previa Foundation at www.vasaprevia.org and info@....

 

 

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