The Reck Family will be participating in the #HaveAHeartChallege to help raise awareness for #CHD (congential heart defects!)The challenge is to smash a heart shape whipped cream pie to your face. We hope to raise awareness and funds for the #1 birth defect in every country. Congenital heart defects can affect ANYONE. In the U.S. alone, a baby will be born with a CHD every 15 minutes. If you wish to donate consider making a donation to The Childrens Heart Foundation childrensheartfoundation.org where 100% of the money goes directly towards research or even consider donating directly to someone who is affected by a CHD, like our son Gabriel gofundme/8764xg If any of you participate, please share to our wall and use the hashtag #HaveaHeartChallenge & #PiesforGabriel so we can watch!! Heart defects are among the most common birth defects and are the leading cause of birth defect-related deaths 1 out of 100 babies are born with a CHD. Our son Gabriel ( Gabriels HLHS Journey ) has HLHS and has already had 2 open heart surgeries. We get asked every day about Gabriels CHD, Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome, here is some information... What is it? In hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS), the hearts left side — including the aorta, aortic valve, left ventricle and mitral valve — is underdeveloped. What causes it? In most children, the cause isnt known. Some children can have other heart defects along with HLHS. How does it affect the heart? In HLHS, blood returning from the lungs must flow through an opening in the wall between the atria (atrial septal defect). The right ventricle pumps the blood into the pulmonary artery and blood reaches the aorta through a patent ductus arteriosus. How does the defect affect my child? The baby often seems normal at birth but comes to medical attention within a few days of birth as the ductus closes. The baby may appear ashen, have rapid and difficult breathing and have difficulty feeding. This heart defect is usually fatal within the first days or month of life unless its treated. What can be done about the defect? This defect isnt correctable, but some babies can be treated with a series of operations, or heart transplantation. Until an operation is performed, the ductus is kept open by intravenous medication. Because these operations are complex and need to be adapted for each child. If your child is a candid then surgery will need to be done it will be done in several stages. The first stage, referred to as the Norwood procedure, allows the right ventricle to pump blood to both the lungs and the body without the need for the ductus to be kept open. Blood is directed to the lungs through either a Blalock-Taussig or Sano shunt. The Norwood procedure must be performed soon after birth. The second stage (bidirectional Glenn or hemi-Fontan) is usually performed between 4 and 12 months and the third stage (lateral tunnel Fontan or extracardiac Fontan) is usually performed between 18 months and 3 years. These operations create a connection between the veins returning low-oxygen (bluish) blood to the heart and the pulmonary artery. The goal is to allow the right ventricle to pump only oxygenated blood to the body and to prevent or reduce cyanosis (lower than normal blood oxygen levels). Some infants require several intermediate operations to achieve this. Some doctors recommend heart transplantation to treat HLHS. Although it can provide the infant with a heart that has normal structure, the infant will require life-long medications to prevent rejection. Many other transplant-related problems can develop, and these should be discussed with your childs doctor. What activities can my child do? Children with HLHS may be advised to limit their physical activities to their own endurance. Generally, many competitive sports pose greater risk. Your childs pediatric cardiologist will help determine the proper level of activity. What will my child need in the future? Children with HLHS require lifelong follow-up by a cardiologist for repeated checks of how their heart is working. Virtually all children with HLHS will require heart medicines, heart catheterization and additional surgery. Thank you The Reck Family!
Posted on: Fri, 29 Aug 2014 12:47:02 +0000
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