I Failed

I failed at posting every day obviously. I tried, but things came up within our family and when things come up I tend to blog less instead of more. Bad me.

I did want to leave you with one last blog. Scarlet's story. Scarlet's picture is up at the top on the right side of the blog. Does she look like a child with a congenital heart problem?

Heart problems are not always obvious. So here are the facts.

*This year 40,000 babies will be born with a congenital heart defect.

*Congenital heart defects are America’s #1 birth defect. Nearly one of every 100 babies is born with a congenital heart defect.

*In the U.S. twice as many children die from congenital heart defects each year than from all forms of childhood cancer combined. Yet funding for research of pediatric cancer is 5 times greater.

*Congenital heart defects are the #1 cause of birth defect related deaths. 1 in 3 children who die from a birth defect have a congenital heart defect.

*From 1993 to 2003 death rates for congenital heart defects have declined by 31% due to advances made through research!

*Of every dollar the government spends on medical funding only a fraction of a penny is directed toward congenital heart defect research.

We did not know until Eli was two weeks old that he had congenital heart defects. I wish that I would have known before hand. I have since learned that there are VERY important questions you can ask during your "20 week" ultrasound. Sadly these things are not always checked. I know they were not checked with Eli.

1. Do you see 4 chambers?

2. Do you look at the arteries or outflow tracks as part of your scan? *Note: Extremely important to focus on artery views. CHD often missed if only a standard “chamber view” is performed.

3. Are the heart and stomach in correct positions? Both organs should lay on the left side of the fetus.

4. Are the heart and stomach in correct positions? Both organs should lay on the left side of the fetus.

5. Are the heart and stomach in correct positions? Both organs should lay on the left side of the fetus.

I cannot stress the importance of these questions. If you are pregnant or know someone that is. Please take these questions with you and ask.