Missing Cerebellum

KRT

Hi Everyone - I used to be very active on The Bump years ago but have not been on in ages. I am sure rules and etiquette have changed.  I have no idea if I still have tickers, etc. so please bear with me.

I am actually posting for my sister.  She is 20 weeks pregnant and had her ultrasound today.  The dr. informed her that the baby's brain (a girl) has shifted and that she does not have a cerebellum.  The dr. was very surprised that she was not seeing any other issues on the U/S as there usually are.  My sister goes to a specialist appointment tomorrow for a high level ultrasound.  My family and I are trying to comprehend this latest news and are absolutely devastated.  I am just trying to find out if anyone else has been through this.  The OB made it sound like the baby will absolutely not survive but when I have tried to research I am not finding much information and have actually found children and adults that have survived without that portion of their brain. 

If anyone has any information I would greatly appreciate it.

Knottie1469136344

Disclaimer: I am a neuroscientist but this is not my specialty.

 It is rare but there are a few cases of people surviving without a cerebellum -- but it in almost all cases they will have severe disabilities (mostly motor and speech deficits). The cerebellum coordinates movement and allows cognitive fluency. There have been studies where people have deactivated the cerebellum temporarily and found people unable to speak and also unable to correct verbal and motor errors. They also suspect some symptoms of autism are the result of differences in the cerebellum so I would not be surprised if a child without a cerebellum had social problems. Here is a link to an article about a relatively high-hormone woman without a cerebellum. I hope your sister's child has a similar fate. https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg22329861-900-woman-of-24-found-to-have-no-cerebellum-in-her-brain/amp/