Hearts

I am not sure I will ever look at the month of February the same again.  It has new meaning for our family because February is Heart Awareness Month.  

I never dreamed that we would be a family affected by Congenital Heart Defects.  I never dreamed this, because I really didn't even know what that was.  Yes, I had heard of babies being born with abnormal hearts.  But we were told at our 20 week ultrasound that our baby had a healthy heart.  Why would I ever think that she would be born with a broken heart?  Turns out that we're 1 of those 100 affected by CHD.

I now know more about the heart, its functions, and heart defects (specifically Evin's defects) than I ever imagined I would know.  I am not saying I am an expert, because I am certainly not at all.  There is SO much to learn about the heart.  But I am much more knowledgeable than I was a year ago, when I knew absolutely nothing about the heart or Congenital Heart Defects.

In my {small} effort to spread awareness this month, I wanted to share a few facts about Congenital Heart Defects (CHDs).

-A Congenital Heart Defect is when part of the heart, or several parts of the heart, form abnormally during the early weeks of pregnancy.
-CHDs are the leading cause of birth-defect related death.
-1 out of every 100 babies are born with a CHD.
-1/3 of children born with a CHD need a life-saving treatment before they are 1 year old.
-Today more than 1 million American adults are living with a CHD

Most CHDs have no known cause

     -88%= Unknown

     -6%= Chromosome Abnormality

     -4%= Single Gene Defects

     -2%= Environmental Factors

The likelihood of having a CHD increases if it is already in your family.

     -If a father has a CHD, his new baby has a 1.5 – 3% chance of having one.

     -If a mother has a CHD, her new baby has a 2.5-18% chance of having one.

     -If one sibling has a CHD, his/her new sibling has a 1.5 – 5% chance of having one.

     -If two siblings have a CHD, their new sibling has a 5 – 10% chance of having one.

(facts from: http://www.top-nursing-programs.com/the-surprisingly-common-world-of-congenital-heart-defect/)

The most important fact I can share, and the one I wish I had known about before Evin was born, is this:

-Heart defects can be detected (if they were not detected in utero) with a simple, painless, noninvasive test called a pulse oximetry test.  Ask for one within the first 24 hours of your baby's life.  

We were lucky to have a nurse who caught Evin's defect before we were sent home, which was scheduled for the afternoon on the very day that her defect was detected.  Other families haven't been so lucky and took home a baby that was critically ill, and they had no idea.  I shudder when I think about how that could have been us.  I am forever grateful to Rachel, our nurse, who caught Evin's defect.

This is a face of a CHD.  This is my girl.  She's pretty much my hero.

I owe it to Evin and to other heart babies, those still with us and those who sadly aren't, to spread the word and to raise awareness.  

February is for HEARTS.