If you were to ask expectant mothers what a CHD is, not many would know the answer and this is because you only really become affected by these defects if you are lucky enough to have them identified early on.

CHD Facts

CHD deaths can be avoided through education and knowledge. If moms are armed with the information they need to protect their babies from CHD related issues, death could potentially be avoided. All moms need to do is ask.

• Congenital Heart Defects are the number one birth defect worldwide.
• Congenital Heart Defects are also the number one cause of birth defect related deaths worldwide.
• Approximately one out of every 100 babies are born each year with some type of Congenital Heart Defect.
• Each year 100,000 babies (under one year old) worldwide will not live to celebrate their first birthday.
• The cost for inpatient surgery to repair Congenital Heart Defects exceeds $2.2 billion a year.
• Of every dollar the government spends on medical funding only a fraction of a penny is directed toward Congenital Heart Defect research.
• Although some babies will be diagnosed during gestation or at birth, sometimes the diagnosis is not made until days, weeks, months, or even years after. In some cases, CHD is not detected until adolescence or adulthood.
• It is a proven fact that the earlier CHD is detected and treated, it is more likely the affected child will survive and have less long term health complications.
• More than 50% of all children born with congenital heart defect will require at least one invasive surgery in their lifetime.
• There are more than 37 different types of congenital heart defects. Little is known about the cause of most of them. There is no known prevention or cure for any of them.
• Globally, twice as many children die from congenital heart defects each year than from all forms of childhood cancer combined, yet funding for pediatric cancer research is five times higher than funding for CHDs.

Meet Hudson

“Hudson was born on January 14^th, 2013. Two days later, the hospital appointed paediatrician identified what he thought to be a heart murmur and immediately called the resident cardiologist to check it out. It turned out, Hudson had a congenital heart defect (CHD) called Truncus Arteriosus.

He underwent surgery at six weeks of age and everything looked so positive that we’d all but stopped worrying about his heart; so it was completely unexpected when he passed away in the early hours of the morning of May 17^th.

In a sad way, we were lucky. Hudson’s CHD was identified early on and we could do everything possible to try and save him. While we weren’t successful and are struggling through the grief of losing our child, we believe that Hudson’s story can help to make a difference in saving the lives of future CHD kids”, says Hudson’s mom, Andrea Slater.

Ask your OB Gyn for information on CHD

There aren’t many OB Gyns who routinely perform the necessary scans for CHDs during pregnancy. Most scan routinely for Down’s Syndrome and various other genetic disorders, but the dangers that face unborn children go further than just these.

If heart related disorders are identified, expectant mothers can, for instance, opt for caesarean sections rather than natural birth, thereby relieving the stress on the infant’s heart and body.

Ask for a Pulse Oximetry (Pulse Ox) screen once your child is born

Pulse Ox is a simple screening test that measures how much oxygen is in a baby’s blood. When performed after the baby is 24 hours old (or before discharge), the test can help identify babies who may have serious heart problems before they go home.

Speak to other humans who know

Join pages like The Hudson Initiative on Facebook, where we bring focus to CHDs, what’s being done about them in South Africa, what mothers can do to protect their kids going forward and raise funds to help raise awareness around CHDs. Talk to us, we can help you save a heart.

About the Author: Andrea Slater is mother to a CHD angel and all she wants is to help other tiny people get a fighting chance in this life. Readers are welcome to visit her blog for more on Hudson’s journey.

The post Congenital heart defects: What every mom and mom-to-be should know appeared first on All4Baby.

The collection and storage of cord blood and cord tissue taken from the umbilical cord of a baby at birth is becoming increasingly common. The reason for this is that the cells contained in the blood and tissue, have potential therapeutic value in the treatment of blood disorders, immune diseases and the emerging field of regenerative medicine.

Should you consider stem cell storage for your baby, Netcells have put together this parent’s guide to stem cell storage…

The difference that stored cord blood stem cells can make

Cord blood is collected from the baby’s umbilical cord at birth and contains haematopoietic (blood) stem cells.These stem cells are used to regenerate bone marrow and are routinely used to treat blood related diseases such as;

• Leukaemia
• Lymphoma
• Thalassemia
• Fanconi’s anaemia
• Sickle cell anaemia

New therapies are also being researched for cerebral palsy, traumatic brain injury, hearing loss and type one diabetes.

Cord tissue stem cells and conditions

The umbilical cord tissue contains mesenchymal stem cells that are being employed in both research and clinical environments for a variety of aesthetic and medical conditions, that include;

• skin regeneration
• neurology (neurodegenerative diseases)
• orthopaedics (cartilage and bone repair)
• sports injury (tendon and ligament repair)
• cardiology (heart muscle regeneration) and many other areas

Why should I store my baby’s stem cells?

Apart from it being a valuable medical investment, there are other compelling reasons to consider storing your baby’s stem cells, such as:

• Having a family history of certain diseases
• Having a sibling who suffers from a disease treatable with stem cell therapy
• People of African descent and mixed marriages, who are less likely to find a matching bone marrow sample in existing tissue banks

What will it cost?

At Netcells, the storage of umbilical cord blood and tissue (for ten years) as well as maternal blood testing will cost you approximately R19 900. Although hefty, the insurance it can give your baby means it’s probably worth it. Fortunately, payment plans are also available.

What to look for when choosing your storage bank

• All-inclusive price with no additional charges that you have not budgeted for (for example annual storage fees and maternal blood tests).
• A laboratory that holds accreditation for the processing of cord blood and tissue stem cells. This is important because it gives you the assurance that the cells will be processed and stored according to international quality standards and that the laboratory will be inspected regularly by the accrediting body to ensure the safe storage of your baby’s stem cells.Also, if the stem cells are ever needed, that they will be accepted by transplant centres across the world.

For more information on Netcells, visit www.netcells.co.za.

The post Insure your baby against life threatening diseases appeared first on All4Baby.

If I knew then what I know now, I would have been jumping for joy for being given the honour to raise such an incredible human being.

Defining Down Syndrome

Down Syndrome is a chromosomal disorder caused by an error in cell division that results in an extra  21^st chromosome.

The syndrome leads to impairments in both cognitive ability and physical growth that range from mild to moderate developmental disabilities.

That’s all it is. An extra chromosome.

Dhiya’s birth story

Our little Dhiya was born with two holes in her heart and a dilated heart chamber. She spent the first four weeks of her life at the Park Lane Neonatal ICU learning to breathe and suck. Some of the nurses didn’t think she would leave soon, but kind Sister Pat insisted that we try breastfeeding and within four days of starting, she was discharged.

There are various myths about Down Syndrome, and since having Dhiya, I can say they are not true…

Myth one: Babies with Down Syndrome cannot breastfeed

Truth: Babies with Down Syndrome can breastfeed, and do so successfully, despite their enlarged tongues. It benefits them as it would any other baby in terms of general health and improvement in cognitive ability.

Myth two: Children with Down Syndrome must be placed in a special school

Truth: Children with Down Syndrome participate fully in public and private educational programmes. There are in fact cases of Down Syndrome children excelling in many areas, such as mathematics and reading.

It is the inclusivity that is the biggest advantage to their development. At 15 months, Dhiya loved nothing more than her daily reading sessions.

Myth three: Children with Down Syndrome are always happy

Truth: These children experience a full range of emotions, just like everyone else. They respond positively to kindness and friendship and feel hurt and pain just like you and I do.

Myth four: Having a sibling with Down Syndrome will be a hardship for a ‘normal’ child

Truth: Most families report that their ‘normal’ children are more compassionate and tolerant of people because of their experience of having a sibling with Down Syndrome. The sibling relationship is generally a typical or normal one – full of love, occasional arguments, and togetherness.

What is a ‘normal’ child anyway?

Is it crawling at 11 months? Then Dhiya has done that. Is it saying ‘dada’ or ‘mama’ at the age of eight months? Then Dhiya has done that. Is it being madly in love with your two smelly brothers? Well, Dhiya is crazy about hers.

The only special needs a Down Syndrome child has, is to be loved and cared for, just like everyone else

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