Feb 7-14th is CHD awareness week. Lydia was born with 4 congenital heart defects, none of which were seen during her four prenatal ultrasounds—and two of those ultrasounds were performed by specialists. We found her heart defects after she was born when we did a series of tests after we realized she had Down Syndrome. Lydia was 5 months old when she had two necessary heart surgeries. The first repaired 3 holes in her heart, and in the second one she had a permanent pacemaker placed. (Fun fact—not many babies have pacemakers! ❤️) Lydia’s life is a miracle and I am grateful every day for her. This year’s CHD awareness takeaway I have for you is this: only 1/3 of heart defects are diagnosed prenatally! Those little hearts are hard to see on an ultrasound through two bodies! Another 1/3 of heart defects are diagnosed after birth, and the last 1/3 go undetected until there’s an emergency or it’s too late. This is where I want you to take note. Every newborn in the hospital should receive a noninvasive pulse oximetry test. This simple test involves putting a monitor on the baby’s foot for just a minute or so to measure heart and oxygen rates. The results of the test can be key to identifying heart issues! Since 60% of heart defects go undetected until after birth and/or disaster strikes, this little test is well worth it!!! So next time you or someone you love has a baby, just remind them to request the CHD pulse oximetry test. It’s easy, painless, and your baby is worth it. 💛
#chdawareness #lydiesheart
