Four-year-old Nouri was born with a hole in his heart, a condition that — for babies in the U.S. — usually can be surgically repaired soon after birth. But in Nouri’s home country, Burkina Faso, such lifesaving treatments were not accessible. In fact, the country in West Africa is considered one of the poorest in…
Norton Children’s is celebrating a milestone almost 40 years in the making. Doctors with Norton Children’s Heart Institute performed the hospital’s 100th pediatric heart transplant. The patient, a 9-year-old, is currently recovering. He had been on the transplant waiting list for almost a year. “It’s exciting to reach this milestone,” said Bahaaldin Alsoufi, M.D., chief…
We know it’s a stressful time after learning your child will be born with a congenital heart condition, and it is common to want a second opinion. We welcome families seeking second opinions at Norton Children’s Heart Institute. For families expecting babies with congenital heart defects and other heart conditions, planning the road ahead starts before…
A specialized ultrasound, known as a fetal echocardiogram, can detect a myriad of fetal heart abnormalities well before your baby is born. This type of scan is available at Norton Children’s Heart Institute. A fetal heart condition may be detected as early as a 20-week anatomy scan. If a fetal heart abnormality is suspected during…
Three-year-old Zoey Keipp is all smiles during her visits with Brian J. Holland, M.D., pediatric cardiologist with Norton Children’s Heart Institute. Zoey, whose family lives in the Paducah, Kentucky, area, doesn’t have to take long car rides to Louisville for her cardiology appointments. Dr. Holland sees patients at the Norton Children’s Heart Institute office in…
What to do if your child’s heart is beating abnormally fast or irregularly A child whose heart is beating fast or irregularly often won’t have the vocabulary to describe what’s happening. While an adult may be able to say “I am having palpitations”, children may describe vague chest symptoms, a fluttering or racing heart or…
Although it can be unsettling if your child feels dizzy or faints (also called syncope), it is usually not due to a serious underlying heart condition. “Although feeling really dizzy or fainting certainly can be uncomfortable, usually it can be treated with some self-awareness, behavioral changes and attention to nutrition and hydration,” said Christopher L….
After trying to get pregnant for five years, Kaitlyn Goff of Nelson County, Kentucky, couldn’t have been more excited to welcome her baby boy into the world. At that point, she knew something was wrong, and doctors confirmed her baby had a heart defect. “It was heartbreaking,” she said. “We finally got pregnant,” Kaitlyn said….
At 18 weeks pregnant, Brittany Walden learned she was going to be a “heart mom.” Her baby’s growing heart showed some abnormalities. After months of Brittany meeting with specialists and more scans, Emery Walden was born in October 2020 with a heart defect called hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS) with pulmonary stenosis. HLHS is a…
Imagine yourself in the shoes of an expectant couple visiting their OB/GYN for their 20-week pregnancy ultrasound. Thrilled to see tiny images of your baby on the screen, the mood changes as the ultrasound sonographer notices something abnormal. You go through a roller coaster of emotions as you learn the health of your baby is…
Southern Indiana are getting the sophisticated pediatric heart care available at Norton Children’s without having to leave their hometown. Norton Children’s Heart Institute has an extensive network offering pediatric cardiology testing and follow-up care at 16 cardiology offices, 30 tele-echocardiography locations and six fetal echocardiography locations across Southern Indiana and Kentucky. “From a patient’s perspective,…
About 1 in 7 U.S. teens have high blood pressure or elevated blood pressure – conditions that often have no symptoms and can lead to serious heart issues as they grow into young adults. Obesity is more common among teens with high blood pressure, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Teens with high…