Whitney Dean and Zack Hudson rocked by another bombshell in EastEnders

THERE’S more heartbreak ahead for Whitney Dean as her pregnancy takes a devastating turn.

The beloved EastEnders character played by Shona McGarty gets bombshell news next week.

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Zack and Whitney get horrific news about their unborn baby next week[/caption]

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EastEnders bosses teased that Whitney’s baby will be diagnosed with Edwards’ Syndrome[/caption]

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How will Zack and Whitney cope with the diagnosis?[/caption]

Whitney Dean has been going through a hard pregnancy, particularly after finding out her unborn baby has a condition called omphalocele.

This resulted in the young mother-to-be to undergo further testing and Zack Hudson (portrayed by James Farrar) is trying to remain hopeful in scenes airing on BBC One.

The pair head to the hospital next week to find out the results of their CVS test.

Sadly, their world crumbles when their baby is diagnosed with Edwards’ Syndrome, as previously teased by soap bosses.

A rare and serious genetic condition, Edwards’ Syndrome is also known as trisomy 18 and begins to affect babies when they’re in the womb before impacting their health throughout their life.

There is no definitive treatment for the condition and parents of the child affected often have the choice between palliative care and prolonging their baby’s life with intensive treatment or even surgery.

According to the NHS, “the condition does not usually run in families and is not caused by anything the parents have or have not done.”

A potential treatment for Edwards’ Syndrome will focus on the symptoms of the condition which include breathing difficulties and infections.

Babies may also need to be fed through a feeding tube as they can have difficulty feeding.

Following the diagnosis, Zack is heartbroken and struggles to cope with the news.

He can’t even face joining Whitney at the hospital.

But after words of encouragement from his half-sister Sharon Watts (Letitia Dean), Zack heads to the hospital to support Whitney.

In later scenes, Whitney is clearly falling apart and begins to push her loved ones away.

Zack is urged by Eve Unwin (Heather Peace) during a heart-to-heart to be present for Whitney.

Back at No.1, Zack comforts her and reassures her that she is not to blame for their baby’s diagnosis.

What will Whitney decide to do about her pregnancy?

Could she go through with raising a child with Edwards’ Syndrome?

EastEnders airs from Monday to Thursday at 7.30pm on BBC One.

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Zack has also been struggling with his own life-changing health diagnosis[/caption]

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Will he be able to support Whitney?[/caption]