PolkMoms.com

At Shawn's request, I am more than happy to share information on CHD with all of you!

I have learned TONS about CHD since my own daughter was born with multiple defects 13 months ago. I wish I had known then, what I know now!!

Here are the absolute most important facts you should know:

*CHD is the most commonly occuring birth defect. It occurs in 1 of every 100 births. There are about 40,000 babies born each year in the U.S. with CHD.

*CHD is the most deadly birth defect. Of children born with it, about 10% will not live to see their 1st birthday.

*It can happen to anyone! There is no known cause. Genetics are a strong suspect, but doctors are still not sure. CHDs do not discriminate among race, sex, religion, geographic location or economic status. ANYONE can have a baby with CHD!

Especially important for me to let you know, is that it is possible for infants to go undiagnosed. Most cases are diagnosed during pregnancy or shortly after birth, but there are many of us that brought our babies home after being born.... thinking that we had a totally healthy, normal baby.

I had an uneventful pregnancy with three ultrasounds that showed nothing out of the ordinary. After my daughter was born, the doctors at the hospital did not notice anything out of the ordinary... and a visit to the pediatrician for a post-discharge check-up did not turn up anything out of the ordinary either. We only found out that something was wrong with her once she went into congestive heart failure @ 10 days old.

*Parents should be alert to the following symptoms in INFANCY:

Tires easily during feeding (i.e. falls asleep before feeding finishes

Sweating around the head, especially during feeding

Fast breathing when at rest or sleeping

Pale or bluish skin color

Poor weight gain

Sleeps a lot - not playful or curious for any length of time

Puffy face, hands, and/or feet

Often irritable, difficult to console


*Some children with CHDs may not have any symptoms until later in childhood. Things to look for include:

Gets out of breath during play

Difficulty "keeping up" with playmates

Tires easily/sleeps a lot

Change in color during active play or sports (looks pale or has a bluish tint around mouth and nose)

Frequent colds and respiratory illnesses

Slow growth and weight gain/poor appetite

Complains of chest pain and/or heart pounding


If your child has two or more of these symptoms, talk to your pediatrician about a referral to a Pediatric Cardiologist.


You can find more information about CHDs at:

www.tchin.org
www.congenitalheartdefects.com
www.chdawareness.org