A Few Q&As Regarding Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernie
I often get asked the following questions. For anyone who needs to know the basics of CDH, or a little about my medical history, here are some questions and answers:
1. Is the cause of CDH known yet?
Unfortunately, no. Some studies are leaning towards a lack of Vitamin A in the diet as a possible cause of CDH.. in rats. I could tell you straight out though that the food I ate while I was pregnant has a LOT of Vitamin A. Other studies show that it could be the combination of the parents that cause it, triggered by something else (age?). Maaaannnnnn, I mean, talk about match incompatibility right? We probably won't know in this lifetime.
If your baby has CDH, it would be a great help though, to contribute your blood samples and family history to a CDH study, like J and I did. We sent blood samples to New York, and we are part of the study being done there. Who knows, maybe someday, they'll know how to prevent it from happening.
If you are in the US, please research on how you can have your government support CDH research. Sadly, we in the Philippines do not have the funds or technology for this, so it's a hopeless situation there.
2. Can alcohol, drugs, use of cigarettes while pregnant trigger CDH? Certain make-up? Too much or too little of anything?
I really doubt it. On a normal, everyday basis, I don't drink, use drugs, or smoke. In my lifetime, I think I can total my number of alcoholic sips (not drinks, SIPS) to less than 100. Maybe 3 cigarettes? Drugs? Never. You can probably tell by now, I really didn't try much stuff growing up, I was pretty boring actually.
Second hand smoke probably isn't a trigger either. During my pregnancy, I was never exposed to smoke, unless it's pollution. Nobody dared to smoke around me.
My beauty regimen was pretty boring too. I don't usually put anything on my face, not even after washing it with just regular cleansers. I would also just use lip balm. (Don't judge me, I didn't even use moisturizers back then, unless it was a super special occasion.)
If anything that I had too much of in this pregnancy, it was EXTREME LAZINESS. I was so lazy. I was lazy because I was always nauseous and sleepy. So I'd rather stay home then throw up around a mall (seriously.)
3. What are the changes of CDH repeating with the next child?
Statistics show it's about 2-5% worldwide. Hard to say though if these statistics are accurate, as CDH is often not diagnosed in countries like ours. The babies just die upon being born, and usually autopsies are not done anymore. So you could have 2 babies die of CDH, and not know why.
4. Can CDH be treated in the Philippines?
It depends on the severity of the CDH, which you usually just find out upon the baby's arrival. Ultrasounds, even the best ones, don't really show the severity of the situation. Some babies make it even the case is mild and the hernia can be easily repaired. A lot of babies don't. If I found out earlier, and if I had the funds, I would go abroad to have our baby. Boston has one of the best facilities for babies with CDH.
5. How much is it to treat a baby with CDH abroad?
Of course, cost varies. Though I have asked several CDH parents in the US, their estimate is, they have spent $700,000- $4,000,000 so far for their children. This goes up, because sometimes CDH affects the child...well, forever.
Yes, those are dollar signs.
6. When is the best time to check if your baby has CDH?
Your congenital anomaly scan, done anytime from 17-22 weeks, will show it. Make sure to have this done in reputable places.
7. What did you do in preparation for the delivery of your baby?
Cry, mostly. KIDDING. We found an amazing group of doctors locally and braced ourselves. We read everything we could. We tried finding doctors/facilities abroad that could take us in. It's the best we could do. Oh, since she was a small baby (a complication of the pregnancy), I ate a lot of STEAK. Anything with PROTEIN, I shoved down my throat. Theoretically, I think I overdid it (she grew really well though!), but I just ate what I could. My first trimester I could barely eat, so I tried to compensate when she was about to come out.
1. Is the cause of CDH known yet?
Unfortunately, no. Some studies are leaning towards a lack of Vitamin A in the diet as a possible cause of CDH.. in rats. I could tell you straight out though that the food I ate while I was pregnant has a LOT of Vitamin A. Other studies show that it could be the combination of the parents that cause it, triggered by something else (age?). Maaaannnnnn, I mean, talk about match incompatibility right? We probably won't know in this lifetime.
If your baby has CDH, it would be a great help though, to contribute your blood samples and family history to a CDH study, like J and I did. We sent blood samples to New York, and we are part of the study being done there. Who knows, maybe someday, they'll know how to prevent it from happening.
If you are in the US, please research on how you can have your government support CDH research. Sadly, we in the Philippines do not have the funds or technology for this, so it's a hopeless situation there.
2. Can alcohol, drugs, use of cigarettes while pregnant trigger CDH? Certain make-up? Too much or too little of anything?
I really doubt it. On a normal, everyday basis, I don't drink, use drugs, or smoke. In my lifetime, I think I can total my number of alcoholic sips (not drinks, SIPS) to less than 100. Maybe 3 cigarettes? Drugs? Never. You can probably tell by now, I really didn't try much stuff growing up, I was pretty boring actually.
Second hand smoke probably isn't a trigger either. During my pregnancy, I was never exposed to smoke, unless it's pollution. Nobody dared to smoke around me.
My beauty regimen was pretty boring too. I don't usually put anything on my face, not even after washing it with just regular cleansers. I would also just use lip balm. (Don't judge me, I didn't even use moisturizers back then, unless it was a super special occasion.)
If anything that I had too much of in this pregnancy, it was EXTREME LAZINESS. I was so lazy. I was lazy because I was always nauseous and sleepy. So I'd rather stay home then throw up around a mall (seriously.)
3. What are the changes of CDH repeating with the next child?
Statistics show it's about 2-5% worldwide. Hard to say though if these statistics are accurate, as CDH is often not diagnosed in countries like ours. The babies just die upon being born, and usually autopsies are not done anymore. So you could have 2 babies die of CDH, and not know why.
4. Can CDH be treated in the Philippines?
It depends on the severity of the CDH, which you usually just find out upon the baby's arrival. Ultrasounds, even the best ones, don't really show the severity of the situation. Some babies make it even the case is mild and the hernia can be easily repaired. A lot of babies don't. If I found out earlier, and if I had the funds, I would go abroad to have our baby. Boston has one of the best facilities for babies with CDH.
5. How much is it to treat a baby with CDH abroad?
Of course, cost varies. Though I have asked several CDH parents in the US, their estimate is, they have spent $700,000- $4,000,000 so far for their children. This goes up, because sometimes CDH affects the child...well, forever.
Yes, those are dollar signs.
6. When is the best time to check if your baby has CDH?
Your congenital anomaly scan, done anytime from 17-22 weeks, will show it. Make sure to have this done in reputable places.
7. What did you do in preparation for the delivery of your baby?
Cry, mostly. KIDDING. We found an amazing group of doctors locally and braced ourselves. We read everything we could. We tried finding doctors/facilities abroad that could take us in. It's the best we could do. Oh, since she was a small baby (a complication of the pregnancy), I ate a lot of STEAK. Anything with PROTEIN, I shoved down my throat. Theoretically, I think I overdid it (she grew really well though!), but I just ate what I could. My first trimester I could barely eat, so I tried to compensate when she was about to come out.
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