Birth

At birth, the anemic TAPS donor is pale and the polycythemic TAPS recipient is dark red. This difference in skin color is not permanent and both children will have a normal skin color again within a few days.

 

Most babies with TAPS will be born prematurely, at 32 weeks of gestation on average. In case of premature birth, admission to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) might be necessary. On the NICU, the babies will  be placed in an incubator. 

 

Treating TAPS after birth

If the babies still suffer from TAPS at birth, treatment might be necessary. In case of severe anemia, the TAPS donor will receive a blood transfusion. If the TAPS recipient is troubled by severe polycythemia, a partial exchange transfusion might be indicated. With this treatment, part of the recipient's blood is drained and exchanged for fluid, with the aim of diluting the recipient's blood and making it less syrupy.

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