What is ‘ABS’?
Amniotic Band Syndrome is also known as Constriction Ring Syndrome and it happens when fibrous band of the amniotic sac (the lining of the uterus that contains a fetus) gets tangled around the developing baby. Most children with amniotic band syndrome will have bands on more than one part of the body.
What causes ABS?
There may be some vascular upset which occurs very early in the pregnancy which causes some loss of fingers or hands or feet
and leads to a brief slowing down of the growth of the baby’s limb.
How is ABS treated?
Treatment is different for each child. Some shallow bands may not interfere with function and may not require surgery. If your child has a deeper amniotic band, they may need one or more operations to help fix the way their hand looks and moves. Sometimes, if the band around a limb is very tight, the operation to release this may need to be done at around 6 weeks of age.
However, most of the other effects of ABS such as syndactyly (joined fingers) and the shallow bands around the digits can be treated surgically at an older age.
