Prenatal ultrasound detects baby Chloe's bowel obstruction
When Jonna had an ultrasound
examination 30 weeks into her pregnancy, her doctor at a suburban hospital
suspected the baby had a bowel obstruction. Jonna and her husband, Micah,
decided to come to Children's Memorial Hospital, where they consulted with
surgeon Marleta
Reynolds, MD, who, along with Max
Maizels, MD, is the co-director of the hospital's Institute
for Fetal Health
.
Reynolds' diagnosis confirmed a bowel obstruction. She
then explained to the family that the baby would need an operation within the
first few days following birth to correct the problem. She also told Jonna, an
attorney, and Micah, a cardiology fellow at Northwestern Memorial Hospital, that
depending on the degree of the anomaly the baby would need at least three weeks
in Children's Memorial's Neonatal
Intensive Care Unit (NICU).
“That's when the severity of the problem really became clear to me,” says
Jonna. “I was in shock.”
Within hours after her birth, baby Chloe was rushed from
Northwestern Memorial Hospital's Prentice Women's Hospital by the Children's
Memorial Emergency Transport Team
to Children's
Memorial, where she was successfully operated on that day by Reynolds to correct
the problem. Chloe was released after three weeks, and her prognosis is
excellent for leading a normal life.
“Knowing about a condition ahead of
time allows a family time to consult with pediatric specialists
to learn what needs to be done for their baby, to get answers
about the length of the hospital stay and the long-term and surgical
needs of the infant,” says Reynolds.
"We're so thankful that we live in an area with such a
wonderful children's hospital,” says Jonna Eimer.
The Institute for Fetal Health was founded in 2004 to provide counseling and
pediatric care planning for pregnant women diagnosed as carrying babies with
medical problems. Patients are referred to the program by doctors and hospitals
throughout the Chicago area. In its first year alone, specialists in the program
performed more than 800 patient consultations.
“Because of new
technologies and improvements in existing technologies like ultrasound, many
conditions are being diagnosed before birth that used to be diagnosed in the
delivery room, and this case is a good example,” says Christopher Talbot, MD,
the institute's coordinator and a longtime obstetrician. “By knowing about
Chloe's condition ahead of time, we could swing into action to give her the very
best medical care available.”
The family, who have two other children – Ellie, 5, and Bennett, 2 – say
they've been very impressed with the fetal health program and the post-operative
care Chloe has received.
“Everyone at Children's
Memorial has been fantastic,” says Jonna. “Dr. Reynolds is the consummate
professional, and the nurses are so kind and capable. We're so thankful that we
live in an area with such a wonderful children's
hospital.”
Children's Memorial Hospital seeks philanthropic funding to enhance its
programs and services. As a proud partner of the Children's Miracle Network
(CMN), all funds raised in the Chicago area through CMN also benefit Children's
Memorial. To find out how your support can help the hospital better serve
children and families, please contact the Children's Memorial Foundation at
773.880.4237 or Foundation@childrensmemorial.org.