Healthy Living

Having a baby is a happy occasion. For some, however, this happy occasion can turn scary — quickly. My husband and I experienced this when our daughter was born. Her delivery went well and everyone gushed over her.  

What came next was unexpected. Our pediatrician said, “The nurse listened to your daughter’s heart and called me.” In one instant, our joy turned to fear. A cardiologist read her EKG and recommended transporting her to Yale-New Haven Hospital to be assessed by a pediatric cardiologist. 

At Yale, the pediatric cardiologist met us in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). He informed us that our daughter had a congenital heart defect called aortic valve stenosis (AVS) and required surgery. If she did not have this procedure she would die. She was scheduled for heart valve repair early the next morning. 

To our good fortune, the procedure went well. Four days later, we were able to take our baby home. We are thankful that our maternity nurse picked up on our baby’s heart defect — her outcome could have been grave.

Anyone can have a child with a congenital heart defect. Congenital heart defects are structural problems, caused from abnormal formation of the heart or major blood vessels. According to the American Heart Association, nine in 1,000 infants will have some form of congenital heart disorder.  Recent progress in diagnosis and treatment has made it possible to repair most defects, even those that were once thought to be hopeless. It is comforting to know that in 2013 the state of Connecticut passed a law for mandatory congenital heart disease screenings on infants.

We are grateful that nurse Gloria heard this defect and contacted the pediatrician. Our daughter is a happy, healthy, and athletic 9-year-old. Don’t tell her, but she is perfect. 

Lisa Cook is a community health nurse for the Backus Health System. This advice should not replace the advice of your personal healthcare provider. To comment on this column or others, visit the Healthy Living blog at www.healthydocs.blogspot.com or e-mail Ms. Cook or any of the Healthy Living columnists at healthyliving@wwbh.org.