When Theia’s mom went into early labor, she knew she would do anything to save her premature baby. She and her husband had lost their second son after he was born very early in Russia, so they knew the risks well. That’s why she decided to be transferred immediately to Stanford Medicine Children’s Health. With a Level IV Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, they would be able to provide a wide range of care at the highest level possible.
Theia was born at 22 weeks and 6 days — right at the typical 23-week threshold for survival of premature infants. She experienced issues with her underdeveloped lungs, dysregulated temperature, and an extreme case of Patent Ductus Arteriosus (PDA). PDA is a heart defect that is caused by an opening between the aorta and pulmonary artery that doesn’t properly close, as it typically does in newborns once they breathe on their own. This opening results in too much blood going to the lungs causing them to work much harder leading to breathing and feeding problems. For Theia, “Her lungs were being flooded with blood, and not enough blood was getting to the rest of her body,” explained interventional cardiologist Greg Adamson, MD. As a member of the Preterm PDA Closure Program, Dr. Adamson, along with neonatologist Anca Pasca, MD, decided that Theia’s only chance at survival was to intervene and stop the blood flow.
Learn more about how a minimally invasive procedure performed with the cooperation of the Betty Irene Moore Children’s Heart Center team saved Theia’s life. And see how a “major feat of teamwork” led to a happy, healthy toddler today. Read Theia’s inspiring story here.
