Discovering the disease from the 21st week of pregnancy
MSc. Dr. Nguyen Trung Kien - Deputy Director of the Pediatric Center, who directly treated the child patient - shared: This is a special case. At 21 weeks of pregnancy, during a periodic ultrasound, doctors discovered abnormalities in the fetal heart and immediately transferred the mother to Bach Mai Hospital for in-depth screening and diagnosis by leading experts.
The fetal heart ultrasound results showed that the baby had a complex congenital heart disease, pulmonary valve failure - an extremely dangerous disease, requiring intervention immediately after birth. Therefore, we have developed a plan for birth and emergency intervention in Bach Mai, preparing adequate equipment, medicine and rescue teams, said Dr. Kien.
Mr. Nguyen Van T - the baby's father - recounted: Before 18 weeks, everything was normal. But by week 21, the doctor said the child had unusual signs of heart disease.
From the 23rd week of pregnancy onwards, the mother was closely monitored. At week 32, the family decided to register a child in Bach Mai to be ready for rescue.
Emergency intervention immediately after birth
On October 16, the mother had a cesarean section at Bach Mai Hospital. A 2.95kg baby girl was born safely, but just a few minutes later, the condition became worse due to a complex congenital heart condition: the valve leaves were sticking, and there was no blood flow to the lungs to exchange oxygen.
Thanks to careful preparation, after initial stabilization, Dr. Kien and the cardiovascular cardiologist team performed an emergency procedure to open the pulmonary valve - the only intervention to help the child maintain blood flow to the lungs and regain life.
After the intervention, lung circulation improved significantly, the child gradually stabilized and currently has a positive prognosis, said Dr. Kien.
According to Dr. Nguyen Trung Kien, in cases of congenital heart disease depending on lung circulation, if not detected and intercepted early, the baby can die within the first 1-2 days of birth, when the natural artery tube closes, making it impossible for blood to rise to the lungs.
Early detection from the fetal stage helps doctors plan birth and mobilize cardiovascular team on the spot. Thanks to that, this case was proactively and successfully handled.
Experts recommend that pregnant mothers should perform a fetal ultrasound at least once, especially from the 18th week onwards when the fetal heart structure is complete.
"The rate of fetuses with congenital heart disease accounts for about 1-2% of the total number of children born, in which many cases need urgent intervention immediately after birth. Early detection helps plan safe birth and brings life opportunities to children - as in the case of this girl", Dr. Kien added.
The child's health is now stable and he is receiving special care at the Pediatric Center - Bach Mai Hospital.
