Kathryn
Victoria Randall
August 13, 2007
6 lbs 9 ½ oz, 20 ½ inches
Katie was born at home on Monday August 13 at 8:03 AM. She was unable to breathe on her own so she was transported by ambulance to North Collier Hospital. Due to the severity of her condition she was flown by helicopter to Miami Children's Hospital where she is now being very well cared for. Katie was born with Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia (CDH) and suffered from Hypoxia (loss of oxygen) after birth due to her condition. Due to her forehead presentation at birth, Katie had a lot of bruising as well.
CDH Explained: The diaphragm
is the long flat muscle that separates the abdominal and chest cavities. The
defect occurs when the diaphragm fails to properly form leaving a hole (hence
the hernia) allowing the contents of the abdomen (in Katie's case the liver
and part of the small intestines) to move up into the chest cavity. When this
occurred, Katie's right lung didn't have the room to be able to grow to normal
size. Katie's right lung is also collapsed, and it is currently being drained
with a chest tube that enters her right side just below the arm.
Katie is also dealing with a condition called Pulmonary Hypertension, which is associated with the CDH. The hypertension is preventing her blood from being oxygenated properly. Pulmonary Hypertension is basically high blood pressure in the arteries that feed the lungs. Katie is currently being treated with oscillatory ventilation (breathing machine) and nitric oxide (a gas that relaxes the arteries allowing the blood to flow more easily). She is stable now and we are hoping to have the surgery to fix the CDH soon.