In recent days, the photo of a newborn baby clutching the IUD that his mother had implanted for two years has become viral, but is it possible that the baby was born holding the device in his hand? We explain it to you.
The IUD is a small T-shaped device that is placed inside the uterine cavity to prevent sperm from ascending and fertilizing the egg. There are two types: those covered by copper wires, or those that release a hormone called progestin, which helps prevent pregnancy. It is one of the most effective contraceptive methods, with an effectiveness of more than 99 percent, reaching 99.8% . Annually, less than 1 in 100 women who use it becomes pregnant.
However, there are no 100 percent safe methods of contraception, and the IUD can also fail on rare occasions. It is more common for a failure to occur during the first year of use, when there is a greater risk of displacement or expulsion of the IUD during this period. It can also happen that the IUD descends, moves in the cavity or has been in place for too long, losing its effectiveness.
Can a baby be born with the IUD held in the hand or stuck to the head?
It is impossible for the baby to live with the IUD inside the amniotic sac during pregnancy. When you get pregnant, the IUD falls outside the membranes that make up the amniotic sac.
The baby grows inside the sac surrounded by amniotic fluid and the IUD stays outside . In other words, the IUD is not in contact with the baby during pregnancy, so it cannot be grasped. In fact, the amniotic sac could rupture, which is one of the risks of keeping the device in the intrauterine cavity.
When the baby is born, either by vaginal delivery or by cesarean section, the IUD that has remained inside is also removed, although it is advisable to remove it when becoming pregnant whenever possible (as we will see later) .
There have been cases where the IUD became trapped between the placental membranes or we have seen photos of a baby with the IUD attached to the head, but the latter is not possible either during pregnancy. Most likely, at the time of delivery, when the bag broke, the baby’s head dragged the device with its head.
So the photo?
What happened (assuming it is true that the mother got pregnant with the IUD in place), is that after the birth, the doctor who attended the delivery found it funny that the baby grabbed the IUD with his hand to immortalize the moment.
She places it in her hand and the baby holds it tightly thanks to the palmar grasp reflex , a primary reflex that happens when we put an object or our finger in the baby’s palm and the baby squeezes it by making a fist.
This is how the viral photo of the baby holding the IUD in his hand that has gone around the world was made.
What happens if you wear an IUD and get pregnant?
If a woman with an IUD becomes pregnant, an attempt is made to remove it whenever possible , since pregnancy with a device within the uterine cavity presents a 50 percent higher risk of miscarriage , as well as a higher risk of fetal death. , infections and premature rupture of membranes.
The first thing that must be ruled out is that it is an ectopic pregnancy, that is, outside the uterus, since approximately six percent of pregnancies that occur in IUD carriers are ectopic.
If the IUD strings are visible, or can be safely removed through the cervical canal, it should be removed before 12 weeks’ gestation .
If the strings are not seen, there are two possibilities: that it has displaced and the woman has become pregnant with the IUD incorrectly inserted, or that it has descended and has expelled it. The latter occurs especially in the first three months after insertion, therefore gynecological check-ups are recommended after IUD implantation. To check if the IUD is or not and where it is implanted, an ultrasound is performed, since it could have migrated into the abdominal cavity (although this is very rare).
If the IUD has moved into a part of the uterus where it is impossible to remove and removal would pose a higher risk of miscarriage, it remains within the uterine cavity . The IUD remains inside the mother, but these pregnancies need close monitoring as they pose higher risks.
According to the WHO, “the woman should be explained that she has a higher risk of suffering a spontaneous abortion in the first or second trimester (this includes a spontaneous septic abortion that can be life-threatening) and of having a premature birth if left The IUD. Removal of the IUD reduces these risks, although the procedure itself poses a slight risk of miscarriage. ” The IUD does not cause malformations or injuries to the fetus.
Whether or not the IUD is to be removed, the pregnant woman should be advised to seek care immediately if she has heavy bleeding, abdominal cramps, pain, abnormal vaginal discharge, or fever.
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