USA: A POLISH BABY BORN WITH PART OF HER BRAIN ON THE OUTSIDE OF HER SKULL ARRIVES FOR SURGERY

Record ID: 584695

  • Title: USA: A POLISH BABY BORN WITH PART OF HER BRAIN ON THE OUTSIDE OF HER SKULL ARRIVES FOR SURGERY
  • Date: 21st November 2002
  • Summary: (W8) NEW YORK, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES (NOVEMBER 15, 2002) (REUTERS) 1. SLV IZABELLA MICHTA, SIXTEEN MONTH OLD BABY ARRIVING ON GRANDMOTHER'S LAP AT JFK AIRPORT, NEW YORK. MOTHER, ALEKSANDRA ANDRUSZKIEWICZ, BEHIND; MV MOTHER BENDS OVER TO TEND BABY (2 SHOTS) 0.14 2. MV PEOPLE AT AIRPORT LOOKING AT BABY; SCU GRANDMOTHER PULLS BABY'S HOOD OFF HEAD REVEALING GROWTH (2 SHOTS) 0.22 3. SOUNDBITE (Polish) BABY'S MOTHER ALEKSANDRA ANDRUSZKIEWICZ AT AIRPORT SAYING "I know this is Iza's only chance, so I'm glad the Americans doctors decided to do this surgery." 0.33 4. MV MOTHER, GRANDMOTHER PUSHING BABY IN STROLLER THROUGH JFK TERMINAL (2 SHOTS) 0.39 5. LAS TILT DOWN NEW YORK UNIVERSITY AND NEW YORK STREET SCENE 0.46 6. MV MOTHER AND BABY WALKING DOWN THE STREET TO NEW YORK UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER 0.51 7. SCU DR. JEFFREY WISOFF MEASURES BABY'S HEAD 0.58 8. SOUNDBITE (English) NEW YORK UNIVERSITY NEUROSURGEON DR. JEFFREY WISOFF SAYING "Iza has a combination of congenital conditions. The thing that is most prominent is her anterior encephalocele. What has happened is that the bone in the front of the skull never formed, allowing the brain to pouch out. In addition, she has hydrocephalus, an accumulation of water in the brain so that most of this large pouch coming from her head is in fact a fluid filled sack, like a huge water balloon." 1.33 9. MV DOCTOR WISOFF'S OFFICE; SCU BABY AND MOTHER PLAYING IN DOCTOR'S OFFICE (3 SHOTS) 1.50 10. SOUNDBITE (Polish) MOTHER ALEKSANDRA ANDRUSZKIEWICZ SAYING "It was a big stress because no one wanted to do this surgery. For a year and a half I expected Iza to die. I didn't think I would find a doctor to do this. This is the first time I have hope." 2.06 11. MV MOTHER CARRIES BABY INTO OPERATING ROOM; SCU MOTHER WATCHING, WORRIED (2 SHOTS) 2.16 12. SCU INCISION MARKS ON BABY'S HEAD; SLV OPERATING ROOM; SCU DRILL INTO BABY'S HEAD; SCU SHUNT BEING PLACED INTO BACK OF BABY'S BRAIN; SCU MONITOR INSIDE BRAIN; SLV OPERATING ROOM SHOTS; SCU INCISION OF ABDOMEN AREA (15 SHOTS) 3.19 13. MV BABY ON OPERATING ROOM TABLE 3.28 14. SOUNDBITE (English) DR. JEFFREY WISOFF SAYING "Everything went very smoothly today. It was a classic shunt operation. No complications and we can already see there has already been a decrease in the size of the encephalocele." 3.41 15. SCU MOTHER BENDING OVER CHILD IN RECOVERY ROOM; SCU BABY CRYING, MOTHER KISSING BABY (2 SHOTS) 3.53 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 6th December 2002 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: NEW YORK, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES
  • City:
  • Country: USA
  • Reuters ID: LVAAR8V6UMZTQHZ5NXQ0U9JBK1XX
  • Story Text: A Polish baby born with part of her brain on the
    outside of her skull has been flown to New York City for
    surgery to remove the massive protrusion.

    Aleksandra Andruszkiewicz, a single, teenage mother
    from Poland has more than typical motherhood worries on her
    mind. Her 16 month old daughter, Izabella Michta, was born
    with a combination of rare congenital conditions resulting in
    a protrusion from the baby's forehead over twice the size of
    her skull. The growth is so large, that baby Iza can not
    balance enough to take her first steps.

    The combined conditions, a herniated brain hydrocele, is
    rarely seen because most fetuses or babies with the conditions
    do not survive. Polish doctors could not provide the baby
    with the necessary surgery, so Andruszkiewicz made a desperate
    plea for help to the international media and aid agencies.

    Donors in Poland and New York University's Children's Hope
    Fund responded, paying for the mother, daughter and
    grandmother to travel to New York for state of the art brain
    surgery.

    The family arrived at John F. Kennedy Airport on Friday,
    November 15th. Upon arrival at the airport, Andruszkiewicz
    said, "I know this is Iza's only chance, so I'm glad the
    American doctors decided to do this surgery."
    Dr. Jeffrey Wisoff, Director of Paediatric Neurosurgery at
    New York University Medical Center, who agreed to operate on
    the child, explained the baby's conditions.

    "She has an anterior encephalocele, which means the bone
    in the skull never formed, allowing the brain to pouch out,"
    explained Dr. Wisoff. "In addition, she has hydrocephalus, an
    accumulation of water in the brain so that most of this pouch
    coming from her head is in fact a fluid filled sack, like a
    huge water balloon."
    Doctor Wisoff began the two part surgery by placing a
    shunt into the back of the baby's brain. The shunt diverts
    the flow of the cerebrospinal fluid from the brain to the
    abdomen where the fluid is reabsorbed. Placing a shunt is one
    of the most common and effective procedures used in dealing
    with hydrocephalus.

    "Everything went very smoothly today. It was a classic
    shunt operation. No complications and we can already see
    there has already been a decrease in the size of the
    encephalocele," said Wisoff after the procedure.

    In a week, the second, and more complex operation, which
    includes reconstructing the skull will take place. The
    operations should enable her to improve her motor skills
    explains Dr. Wisoff. "I think that by reconstructing this and
    reducing this, it will allow her to move about better,
    hopefully allow her to stand and walk."
    However, the doctors do not expect the surgeries to
    improve the baby's brain functioning. Andruszkiewicz hopes
    the operations will bring her daughter the possibility of a
    more normal life.


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