Lee Hui Chieh

A DETAILED scan saved the life of an unborn baby whose parents had considered an abortion when an earlier standard scan showed a severely damaged brain.

That life-saving magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan, which delivers images clearer than the standard ultrasound scan, showed the baby's brain to be normal.

Doctors at KK Women's and Children's Hospital (KKH) are now using MRI scans on pregnant women when ultrasound scans hint at possible abnormalities.

Most of the time, the foetal MRI scans prove the initial ultrasound scans to be correct.

 Since KKH began performing foetal MRI scans about 11/2 years ago, just two of the 29 mothers- to-be scanned received results that differed from ultrasound scans taken earlier.

One was the mother of the baby who was saved.

Professor David Stringer, who heads the hospital's diagnostic imaging department, said: 'The MRI changes management considerably for some cases, so it's a very useful complement to ultrasound.'

He stressed that ultrasound was still the standard way of screening foetuses because it was fast, effective and cheap.

Foetal MRI scans cost $340 to $800 each, about seven to 10 times more than ultrasound scans.

KKH introduced two other new scanning services for babies this year: clearer and safer X-ray, and autopsies using computed tomography (CT) scans.

Six months ago, the hospital acquired a new X-ray machine that produces images with double the resolution of standard X-rays but emits half the amount of radiation.

This makes it safer for babies, especially those born prematurely with heart and lung problems and who need frequent X-rays as a result, Prof Stringer said.

The higher resolution of these X-ray images shows more clearly the bones and even blood vessels in premature infants, who may not be larger than a palm, he added.

Madam Noor Suziyana Adnan's son was born last month after 32 weeks of pregnancy, more than a month too early.

While in intensive care, he underwent the new X-rays to monitor his underdeveloped lungs.

She said: 'We were very worried about him. The new X-ray is better because it's safer.'

Following a trend that has emerged in the United States in the last one to two years, the hospital has also begun performing CT autopsies.

Five have been done in the last four months to find out why those babies died.

The cases were referred to the hospital by the coroner.

Prof Stringer said: 'Using this method, you don't have to cut the body open at a very emotional time for parents who have just lost their child.'

huichieh@sph.com.sg