Pediatric Cardiologist

Scarlett had her one year follow up visit at the Cardiologist today.

She had an Echocardiogram while in the NICU last year.  Then we went to Primary Children's Riverton office in last year to discuss her heart with the specialist.  (see this blog post for more info).  They did an EKG:

May 2011

We learned that she has two holes in her heart:

1. PFO: Patent Foramen Ovale.  Common. (it's a flap that closes to change the direction of the flow from when you were in the womb, 40% of adults still have a PFO hole in their heart, linked to migraines and cryptogenic stroke)
2. VSD: Ventricular Septal Defect.  Uncommon.  A Congenital Heart Defect. (and her hole is closer to the base of the heart, not in the middle like on the picture)

Neither of these effect the quality of her heart and neither needed surgery/close monitoring/medicine.  The appointment today was to see how these holes have changed over the past year.  She had another Echocardiogram:

May 2012

Which is like an ultrasound for your heart.  It doesn't hurt.  She was a little ticked off just cause we were making her lay down.  But the nice lady turned on Sesame Street and Scarlett was great - in fact, she was able to get more data than they usually do with toddlers.

The doctor came in and told us the great news: BOTH HOLES HAVE CLOSED UP ON THEIR OWN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  That's so fantastic!  She never has to go back again!  :-)   

She also has an Innocent Heart Murmur.  That's very common (50-80% of kids have one).  "Innocent heart murmurs aren't caused by heart problems. These murmurs are common in healthy children. Many children will have heart murmurs heard by their doctors at some point in their lives."

Also, the doctor said there is a 1% chance of having a baby with a congenital heart defect, but once you've had one there is a 7-8% chance that your future babies will have one.  So from now on I'll need to get a Fetal Echocardiogram when I'm pregnant.  Expensive, but important.

Anyways.... this was all so wonderful!  We're so very blessed that her heart has repaired itself and that she is such a healthy and happy little girl!