Has this ever crossed your mind?

I'm not much of a day-dreamer, but I have had nights where I dream I am pregnant.  I have blamed it on my being of an age where many of my friends are falling pregnant and having babies, and therefore it seems as though barely a day goes by there isn't a new announcement.  I therefore, through no fault of my own, have babies on the brain.

I've never gotten far enough in my dreams to see what the baby might turn out like - but I guess it goes without saying that I would hope for the perfectly healthy, perfectly formed baby all prospective parents want.  An Australian couple - this time pregnant with their eighth child - were no different.  They went to their ultrasound to hear a strong heartbeat, and see two perfect little feet on two perfect little legs, two perfect little hands on two perfect little arms, and two faces.  Yes, two faces.

A scan of the baby.

The baby is reportedly suffering from a duplication called craniofacial hyperhidrosis (or diprosopus) of which there have only ever been 35 cases recorded world wide.  The last known case of diprosopus was recorded in an Indian baby who was born – and died – in 2008.  The baby was born with two sets of eyes, two noses, two mouths but only one set of ears; meaning she could breathe normally, drink milk through both mouths and her eyes blinked at the same time.  However her life was short, when she suffered a heart attack and died two months after she was born,

In speaking to an Australian current affairs program when this story came to light a couple of months ago, it was revealed that the baby's parents have seven other children, survive on welfare and carer's payments, and her mother suffers from rheumatoid arthritis.

And in the article I read, I stopped.  I probably held my breath momentarily.

Rheumatoid Arthritis.

It's not like I don't read, hear or think of those two words most days anyway, but it dawned on me... there is a risk.  

I know, I know - there's always a risk of malformation or disability with any pregnancy, but after my first rheumatologist all but beat it into me that any less than two forms of contraception wasn't enough, I have had a healthy fear of the thought of an unplanned pregnancy for myself or anybody else on the likes of Methotrexate or Leflunomide.

Without knowing, judging or otherwise being negative about the couple, I only hope that they heeded the warnings surrounding pregnancy and medications.  I can't imagine the confusion and confrontation of being faced with a discovery like this - let alone if there was any chance at all that it could have in some way been avoided.

Because all babies deserve the very best chance at a healthy start to life.  This poor little possum won't be so lucky.