Yesterday we took Olivia in for her follow up Cardiology appointment, to check on her heart murmur and the progress of her PFO. If you remember, she was diagnosed with this back in February. Since a lot of you have asked, here's a general definition:
A patent foramen ovale (PFO) is a relatively common and often asymptomatic heart defect that is present at birth (congenital). During fetal development, the heart’s two upper chambers (atria) are connected by a hole through the wall of muscle that separates them (septum). This hole, along with a blood vessel
connecting the pulmonary artery (artery going to the lungs) and the aorta (the main artery going to the body), must be present in the fetus in order to detour blood away from the lungs. This hole is called the foramen ovale, and it normally closes shortly after birth. When it remains open after birth, it is said to be “patent,” which is another away of saying “open.”
Olivia had an EKG and those results came back normal. The murmur and PFO are still present, although not as prominent now so it's progressing nicely. The Cardiologist ordered another echocardiogram for her in 6 months from now and is optimistic that the hole should be closed on its own by that point. Yay, Livi! We also had the doc take a listen to Caroline, since a slight murmur has also been detected in her heart as well. It's there, but we'll have to wait and see what becomes of that.
Here are a lot of pictures I took at the appointment:
Liv getting her blood pressure taken
O
C
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The hats Iliana gave Rob & I =)
