A Baby's Heart

A healthy, functioning heart is perhaps one of the things we most take for granted.  How often do you think about your heart and how it keeps pumping second after second, minute after minute, week after week, year after year?  It keeps our brain and every other part of our body alive.  

When I look at a newborn baby, especially mine, and think about how this tiny baby can do almost nothing for herself, I wonder at the miracle of the heart and how it pumps all to its own.  this tiny, life-giving organ with no one telling it what to do, but the Master Himself.

I've long taken for granted how my heart has never had a problem and has ticked away for nearly 36 years.

I find myself thinking of the heart often these days, as my very own baby is having a little problem with hers.  

Let me back up.

When I took her in for her 4 month shots and weighed her, she hadn't gained any weight since she was 3 months.  In 4 weeks she hadn't even gained an ounce.  I took her in 2 weeks later, expecting a weight gain and she remained the same.  2 weeks later, the same.  For 2 months, Eva stayed at 12 pounds, 8 ounces.  When I was finally able to get in to see the doctor, she was obviously concerned.  Babies at this age should be gaining weight at every weigh-in.  My doctor put me on a medication to increase my milk supply, just in case that was the reason why she wasn't gaining.  I was exclusively breastfeeding at this time, so this was a better option to me than supplementing with formula.  The doctor also referred Eva to a paediatrician in Vernon, as we were going to be moving about a week after this appointment.

By the time I got in to the paediatrician in Vernon at the beginning of November, Eva had gained some weight, due to the success of the medications I was on.  But when the doctor listened to her heart, she heard a very distinct murmur which she suspected to be VSD - Ventricular Septal Defect - a hole between the left & right ventricles of the heart.  Because Eva had gained weight by this time, the doctor ruled out that she had failed to gain weight because of the condition of her heart, but rather as an issue of milk supply.  It was just coincidental that she lacked weight gain and had a heart condition simultaneously.  Also, the fact that she had gained weight confirmed that she was not in heart failure, so her heart condition was not an emergency situation. 

As it happened, BC Children's Hospital was having a tri-annual (is that a word?) Paediatric Cardiology Clinic in Vernon later that month, so she was referred there along with an ultrasound, ECG and X-Ray.  At the cardiology clinic, she had an Echocardiogram done.  The paediatric cardiologist there confirmed that Eva did not have VSD, but rather a ductus and coarctation. 

Let me define.  A ductus is a hole in the heart.  The one that she had is one that apparently all babies are born with but close in the first months after birth.  A coarctation is a narrowing of the aorta - the main artery that leaves the heart and feeds blood through to the rest of the body.  At the time, nothing was done except to book a follow-up appointment with the same team 6 weeks later, to give the ductus a chance to close up, as this would affect the coarctation.

This past Thursday was the follow-up appointment, in Kamloops this time.  This appointment revealed that the ductus has not closed at all.  The doctor said that if it has not closed yet, it will not close on its own.  Therefore, this ductus needs to be plugged.  If it is not, a certain percentage of blood will seep through the hole instead of going in the artery thus forcing the heart to work harder which could cause heart damage (enlarged left ventricle).

The coarctation has also remained the same. This narrowing basically acts like a plugged artery which would also force the heart to work harder, thus causing damage in the future.  This also makes it very difficult for doctors to find the femoral pulse in Eva (which is at the pelvis) and makes her blood pressure in the lower half of her body lower than in the upper half of her body.  

Neither of these issues have caused any lasting damage in Eva so far, which is great news.  And neither of these issues cause an emergency situation.  her life is not at risk.  also great news.

The team of cardiologists have met and agree that the course of action should be this:  Bring Eva down to BC Children's in Vancouver for a CT Scan to get a better/clearer picture of what her heart is doing.  Then, if the results of the scan call for it, they will do surgery on her heart.  The surgery will be for two things: 1. to put a plug in the hole, 2. cut out the narrow part of the aorta and sew the two good parts together.

We have been told that this is an "incredibly successful" surgery that is done at least once a week at Children's.  It's not overly complicated and recovery is easy for the child.  it is not open-heart, rather they go in through the side of the chest. 

This has all been scheduled for the middle of February.

We feel very blessed that this situation was caught in Eva at such a young age as she will not have any lasting heart damage from this situation.  We also feel very blessed that we have been in Vernon for all of this as we have not really had to travel for all the appointments that she has had in the last couple of months (except for the trip to Kamloops).  Also, we really believe that we have some of the best cardiologists and surgeons in the Province looking after our little girl, not to mention the Big Guy upstairs who loves her more than we do and who is completely trustworthy and in control of everything that is transpiring.  In addition, there are many people praying for Eva.  this is invaluable.  Plus, Eva has been steadily gaining weight and growing well through all of this which is a very good sign that things are not in a critical situation.

If any of you are in the habit of praying, we would covet your prayers for Eva and for the surgeons who will work on her.  We are trusting in the Lord and put everything in His very capable hands.