Children's Healthcare Foundation

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Showing posts from 2020

The story of a single mother’s struggles and why we need more Heart Foundations in India

- December 21, 2020

For most parents, having a child is equivalent to a blessing and becoming a parent is usually a welcomed and much-celebrated event. But in some cases, parents’ lives are fraught with problems and uncertainty regarding their ability to ensure their child’s physical and emotional well-being. Hailing from Haryana, eleven-year-old Mohammad Samad is the second born child to Rubina Begam and Ragib. The couple’s elder son, Aman, who is now twelve years old was over joyed to see his younger baby brother or rather a new partner for playing. But as they say, nobody can see what lies ahead in the future. It was at six months of age that Samad was evaluated at a local hospital for developing recurring cold and cough. He was kept under the continuous supervision of the treating doctor for almost another six months. Time passed, but there was no improvement in Samad’s condition. Later, he also developed breathlessness. Both, Rubina and Ragib were informed by the local doctor that they should take

What are Pediatric Emergencies?

- November 11, 2020

The care for critically ill children begins with early recognition, and aggressive resuscitation and stabilisation. Critically ill children present particular challenges, as there are many unique features, anatomically and physiologically, that differ significantly to adults. Typically, sick children will present with an inability to drink, respiratory distress and altered consciousness. Although they have a great ability for compensation (e.g. increased heart rate, increased respiratory rate), they can also deteriorate very quickly. A carefully performed clinical assessment, including observation, medical history and physical examination, will detect serious illness with a high sensitivity (90 percent) Some of the most common Paediatric Emergencies are: 1. Respiratory Distress Respiratory emergencies in childhood are characterised by three cardinal manifestations: dyspnoea, wheezing and stridor. The type of stridor can provide an important clue to the differential diagnosis. An obst

What are the challenges for parents of children with CHD?

- October 25, 2020

The first expectation from a pregnancy for all parents is a healthy baby. And along with that, there is a mix of emotions ranging from confusion, joy, fear, sadness etc. When any parents are told the news that their child has a heart defect, a can of uncertainties open up. We are a children heart foundation in India that works towards helping critically ill-underprivileged children who are diagnosed with Congenital Heart Defects. We meet and counsel such parents on an everyday basis. What are Congenital Heart Defects? · A congenital heart defect (CHD) is a problem with the structure of the heart. It is present at birth. Congenital heart defects are the most common type of birth defect. The defects can involve the walls of the heart, the valves of the heart, the arteries and veins near the heart. · It affects 9 out of every 1000 new-borns in India. · Every year, over 2,20,000 children are diagnosed with CHD in India. Nearly 1,80,000 out of these are born with critical congenital hea

Genesis Foundation & The work we do: Saving Critically Ill Children

- October 13, 2020

We are a non-governmental organization that is based in Gurgaon, India. We help children who have been diagnosed with Congenital Heart Defects by ensuring they can get adequate medical care. Our work involves saving critically ill children between 0-18 years of age who come from lesser-privileged backgrounds. The Story behind the Foundation Jyoti Sagar and his wife Prema Sagar lost their son Sameer, who was born on December 20, 1983, to a congenital heart defect, almost 37 years ago. As grieving parents, they felt shattered by their loss. Beginning to volunteer at Missionaries of Charity felt like a step in the right direction, enriching the lives of others and healing their own. Eventually after finding solace in philanthropy, they turned around their loss into the genesis of the Foundation in 2001. Genesis Foundation began supporting children suffering from a variety of critical medical conditions in the areas of cancer, heart, organ failure, thalassemia and extreme deformities. But

How to be cautious about symptoms of CHD during Covid-19 Lockdown

- September 21, 2020

As the world grappled with the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic, many countries including India, imposed a nation-wide lockdown. And this meant an even worsened situation for non-communicable diseases like congenital heart defects. As an organization aiding the t reatment for congenital heart defects in children , Genesis Foundation also faced unique challenges in trying to ensure that children were provided timely medical intervention. For first-time parents and parents of new-born children, they’re often thrust into a world of unknown when something unusual happens to the child. In such a situation, tele-consultation and tele-medicine is highly advisable. Symptoms to Look out For If you as a parent see your child or someone you know whose child exhibits symptoms like rapid breathing, swelling in legs, stomach, around the eyes, difficulty in taking feed, extreme exhaustion or fatigues, incessant crying or a blue tinge to the skin etc., then immediately call your consulting doctor/pedia

The Role of Cardiac Imaging in Congenital Heart Defects

- September 14, 2020

We live in the era of non-invasive imaging in medicine. The top rankers in the nation-wide competitive exam for post-graduate medical education invariably choose radiology as their specialization of choice. What is Cardiac Imaging? Imaging is the main pillar of congenital heart disease (CHD) diagnosis and congenital heart disease treatment . A century earlier CHD was suspected clinically and diagnosed on an autopsy performed after the child died. Even four decades earlier, CHD was diagnosed by cardiac catheterization and angiography. This was an invasive procedure which carried a small but definite risk of adverse events. Thankfully, advances in non-invasive imaging have allowed a more accurate and safe diagnosis of CHD in neonates, infants and young children. The three modalities which we use most commonly in clinical practice are the echocardiogram , the computerized tomogram (CT) and cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR). There is a peculiar challenge in imaging the heart un

Babies & Heart Disorders: Need for Awareness

- August 26, 2020

Whenever we talk about heart disease, we normally associate it with the elderly population. However, babies have heart disorders too, and many of them are born with congenital heart defects. According to Indian Paediatrics journal, the estimated number of children born with congenital heart disease in India is more than 200,000 per year. Of these, about one-fifth are likely to have a serious defect, requiring intervention in the first year of life itself. Congenital Heart Defect (CHD) is the most frequently occurring congenital disorder and is responsible for 28% of all congenital birth defects. It occurs due to a defect in the formation of the heart. It is not always possible to determine the cause of congenital heart diseases. Although most new-borns present with critical CHD exhibit the symptoms and are identified soon after the birth, some are not diagnosed until after they are discharged. Early diagnosis is extremely important because children with high risk CHD can die if not pro

When two worlds came crashing down

- July 13, 2020

She held him in her arms and rocked him gently back and forth. The little one was covered in stitches and multiple wired sensors to track his vital signs and she had to wear a protective suit to avoid infection. She is the mother of a 10-month-old baby Tanveer from Agra. While the mother held on to Tanveer, the father eagerly stepped out to talk to me. The story he told me was nothing unheard of but in all it was a story of a lot many people belonging to the section of the society that still resides in poverty and are unable to meet the basic needs of their family. Add to that, the age-old thought process that “more the kids, more income generated” which is a major roadblock in the growth of below the poverty line families. Tanveer with his parents at Artemis Hospital 23-year-old Roshan is the mother of Gohar hailing from Sant Nagar, Delhi. With a timid face and docile nature, she just needed a littl

Treatment for Congenital Heart Defects during Covid-19

- June 13, 2020

India is now in the top 5 worst affected countries by the COVID-19 pandemic. Dealing with the unforeseen challenges caused by the COVID-19 pandemic has taken a significant toll on people all across the world including India. With testing protocols in place, a closely monitored testing and surveillance strategy, numbers are steadily rising in India. And during such unprecedented times of COVID-19, just like every society and country is facing challenges, so is the Congenital Heart Defect (CHD) community. It is estimated that 8 children per 1000 live births have some form of CHD. The treatment for congenital heart defects has become even more challenging with lack of transport options, significant job losses, delayed COVID-19 test results, overstretched medical staff etc. leading to logistical problems. Until now, very few children with COVID-19 have become critical or fatal cases. But this does not mean that children are completely safe, because they’re always in the vicinity

How our little help can give someone a chance to live

- April 10, 2020

A congenital heart defect is a common birth defect that affects the structure and functioning of the heart. Some congenital heart defects in children are simple (a hole in the heart) and don't need treatment, whereas others are complex malformations that may require several surgeries performed over a period of several years. All these problems can affect the breathing, feeding, and weight of the child. An infant with CHD may have the following symptoms: ● Abnormal heart rhythms (arrhythmias) ● Cyanosis- A bluish tint to the lips, fingernails, and skin ● Shortness of breath ● Tiring quickly upon exertion ● Poor weight gain There is no known cause of congenital heart defects but experts assume that they may occur when a mishap occurs during heart development soon after conception. Heredity, smoking, drinking alcohol during pregnancy, diabetes, certain medications, and Rubella are some of the major reasons that may result in CHDs in children. Accord

What treatments are available for Congenital Heart Disease and how we as a society can help the underprivileged to afford this treatment?

- March 13, 2020

The birth of a child often brings happiness in the lives of parents as well as his near and dear ones, but this is not true for every child. This happiness is often taken away from the parents whose children are born with some birth defects such as Congenital Heart Disease (CHD).CHD is a common type of birth defect that affects the structure of a baby’s heart and how it functions. Congenital Heart Disease may vary from mild to severe and according to Centers For Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), about 1 in every 4 babies born with a heart defect has a critical congenital heart defect. The kids who suffer from a critical CHD need surgery or other procedures in the first year of life. However, one good thing related to this disease is that it can be treated, and that also in most cases for life. Sometimes the defect is diagnosed during pregnancy and it becomes easy for the doctors to treat the child. Over the past few years, the treatments and follow-up care for CHD have im

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