Baby Cassiana's diagnosis story--Due June 2009 (HLHS, DORV, mitral atresia, malposed great vessels)

On February 5, 2009 the OB nurse called to tell me that my sequential screening came back abnormal. The results showed that I had a 1:35 chance of having a baby with Down Syndrome. She asked if I wanted to go for an amnio. This was a decision my husband and I needed to make together through the guidance of God. We prayed on it together and felt that we were being lead to have the amnio to help us better prepare. Our amnio was on February 10. The genetics counselor told us that I an ultrasound tech would do an ultrasound to check for physical signs of Down Syndrome prior to the amnio procedure. The tech spent alot of time looking at the heart and excused herself from the room. I had a gut feeling that something wasn't right. I expressed my concern to my husband and he reminded me that it is in God's hands, not to worry. The tech returned with the doctor and a nurse. They did another ultrasound and kept whispering to each other. Finally, the doctor spoke up and said "the baby has an abnormal heart". Of course, we were full of questions but the doctor told us that all our questions would be answered by the pediatric cardiologist. We were unable to see the pediatric cardiologist until February 12. We were given the diagnosis of double outlet right ventricle and malposed great vessels. Six weeks later he added HLHS and mitral atresia.

The amnio results came back as negative. Nothing was found to be abnormal.

Currently, the plan is to induce me at 39 weeks unless baby Cassiana goes into distress. The surgeon and pediatric cardiologist can not give us the surgery options until she is born and are better able to determine the extent of her heart defects.

I am praying for all babies with CHD!