It’s one of the most exciting milestones in pregnancy: the 21-week anatomy scan. Like many expectant moms, Hunter Hamilton of Westport, Kentucky, couldn’t wait to watch her baby’s tiny movements on the screen and finally learn if she was having a boy or girl. What started with pure joy at a baby boy quickly shifted…
When Amanda Redmon was 29 weeks pregnant — about seven months along — she received news that would change everything. An ultrasound revealed that her son, Cole, had an opening in the diaphragm, the muscle that separates the chest from the abdomen. When a child has this condition, known as congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH), the…
When Libby Means was pregnant with her son Hayes, she faced every expectant parent’s worst fear. Throughout her pregnancy, doctors discovered she had little to no amniotic fluid —a condition that often signals serious complications for the baby. The medical team discussed with Libby and her family the possibility that Hayes might not survive after…
Before Leeland Brady was born, his parents never knew if they would see their little boy thrive. Before birth, he was diagnosed with two life-threatening conditions that would require many months of critical care in the Norton Children’s Hospital neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). The family, from Lebanon, Kentucky, spent nine months with Leeland in…
Everleigh Johns is a miracle baby. She has an extremely rare genetic condition, but it wasn’t an easy or clear path to reach her diagnosis. For months, her care team never stopped treating her symptoms while searching for answers — until a special genetic test would finally reveal the cause of Everleigh’s struggles. By the…
When Leacoln Bale got a thumbs-up on her 20-week prenatal scan, she and her husband, Jeremy, felt relief. The scans looked great, and they were thrilled about having another healthy baby girl. Like her two older sisters — Ellie, 6, and 3-year-old Nora — Ava was born at home with assistance from a midwife. But…
Norton Children’s Hospital has been verified as a Level I Children’s Surgery Center by the American College of Surgeons Children’s Surgery Verification Quality Improvement Program. The verification means Norton Children’s Hospital meets standards that ensure that children facing surgery receive care under a pediatric multidisciplinary program with quality improvement and safety processes, data collection and…
As many as 40% of childhood surgeries are performed in adult hospitals by surgeons who haven’t trained in the intricacies of caring for growing bodies, according to a 2013 study. The study published in Pediatrics, the official journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics, concluded common procedures such as appendectomy were just as likely to…
There are a lot of different roles that make up a child’s care team when he or she is in a children’s hospital. A child can see nurses, nurse practitioners and any number of physician specialists. You may know what a cardiologist, surgeon or orthopedic surgeon does — but do you know what a pediatric…
Choosing where to have your child’s surgery can be a daunting task. What kind of care is going to make your child and family feel safest, physically and emotionally? Technology advancements have made it possible for some procedures to be done at outpatient surgery centers. Costs can be lower at these types of locations. However,…