Some of the antibiotics used to treat urinary tract infections (UTI) during pregnancy may increase the risk of several birth defects if a woman uses them early in pregnancy, a new study in the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine shows. Researchers found an increased risk for two classes of antibiotics: sulfonamide (example: Bactrim) and… Continue Reading
Prenatal Information
Birth Defects May Contribute to IUGR
What is intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR)? Intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) is a term used to describe a condition in which the fetus is smaller than expected for the number of weeks of pregnancy. Another term for IUGR is fetal growth restriction. Newborn babies with IUGR are often described as small for gestational age (SGA). A… Continue Reading
Info on Tests & Procedures Often Used in Diagnosing CHD
Congenital heart defects are often, but not always, diagnosed in infancy. Some may be diagnosed before birth, and many may not be detected until much later in childhood or even in adulthood. If the heart problem is significant, your child’s pediatrician or family physician will likely refer your child to a pediatric cardiologist. Pediatric cardiologists… Continue Reading
New Fetal Health Center at Children’s Mercy Hospital
Children’s Mercy Hospitals and Clinics is establishing a new Fetal Health Center, designed to provide an integrated, multidisciplinary approach to caring for infants with serious congenital birth defects before, during and after delivery. The first step in the development of the Fetal Health Center is an outpatient clinic, which will provide diagnosis and consultation for… Continue Reading
Smoking During Pregnancy and CHD
Smoking is a major public health problem. All smokers face an increased risk of lung cancer, other lung diseases, and cardiovascular and other disorders. Smoking during pregnancy can harm the health of both a woman and her unborn baby. Currently, at least 10 percent of women in the United States smoke during pregnancy. Statistics from… Continue Reading
Parents of CHD Babies are the Unsung Hereos
It’s a parents worst nightmare, a newborn baby going under the knife to repair a heart defect. If the baby survives, that’s when the real work begins for parents. University of Alberta nursing professor Gwen Rempel has seen hundreds of babies on the brink as a former pediatric cardiology nurse; she wanted to find out… Continue Reading
Maternal Folic Acid May Lower Risk of CHDs
Folic acid supplements during pregnancy may not only reduce the risk of birth defects but also protect the children from congenital heart defects, says a new study from the Netherlands. Children of women who took at least 400 micrograms per day during pregnancy were about 20 per cent less likely to develop congenital heart defects… Continue Reading
Welcome To Holland (my thoughts exactly…)
I originally put this piece of inspiration at the bottom of my ABOUT page, but it’s too perfect to be hidden from my fellow heart families. Welcome to Holland by Emily Perl Kingsley I am often asked to describe the experience of raising a child with a disability – to try to help people who… Continue Reading
Babies Born to Diabetic Mothers Have Increased Risk for CHD
Background Diabetes has long been associated with maternal and perinatal morbidity and mortality. Before the discovery of insulin in 1921, women with diabetes rarely reached reproductive age or survived pregnancy. Fetal and neonatal mortality rates were as high as 65% before the development of specialized maternal, fetal, and neonatal care. Since then, infants of diabetic… Continue Reading
