Pregnant Mum With Congenital Heart Disease

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Madam Loo Keat Kheng was 32 years old but she was a unique patient in that she was diagnosed with congenital heart disease.

She came to see me in 2010 and told me she had had a previous ectopic pregnancy. She wanted my advice as she had conceived again but was highly worried for her 6-week old pregnancy.

As this was a high risk pregnancy (with the pregnant mum having congenital heart disease), I worked closely with a consultant cardiologist to monitor Madam Loo’s pregnancy week by week.

She also suffered from excessive vomitting and nausea which we had to admit her into the hospital for observation and monitoring.

At 39 weeks, she went into spontaneous labour but we were happy to note that her baby was healthy at 3.8kg.

Despite the earlier problems, Madam Loo was well enough to go home with her baby on the 3rd day.

She is still closely monitored by my colleague, the cardiologist, but she is doing well.

Mother Second Time Around

Choon Jia Ying was a 26 year old mother who had lost her first child when she came to me for pre-conception counselling.

Madam Choon Jia Ying visited Dr Somas with her baby girl

Her first baby suffered from congenital heart disease and passed away a few days after being born.

Jia Ying was devastated but she was also determined to have a baby.

We met for a few counselling sessions. One day, she announced to me that she had conceived naturally!

While pregnant, I told her to be extra careful and referred her to a paediatric cardiologist just to make sure this baby was going to be fine.

We ensured that she underwent enough prenatal testing and anomaly scans.

By December that same year, Jia Ying gave birth to a healthy and beautiful baby girl weighing in at 3.2 kg.

I am glad she had the courage to try for a baby the second time around.