It’s always heartbreaking for parents to find out that their child has a disease. It’s especially worrisome when it involves sensitive organs, such as the heart. Unfortunately, congenital heart disease (CHD) is one of the most common diseases afflict young children.
Understandably, it throws the parents into a rollercoaster of emotions, plagued with worry, anxiety, and even guilt that it might have been their fault that their child developed the condition. The fact of the matter, however, is that there are about 35,000 babies diagnosed with CHD every year in the United States, clearly showing how common a condition it is.
Still, just because it is common does not mean that it’s easier to deal with. That is why it is important for parents to seek out help from CHD support groups, who can help them face the difficulties of having a child with the condition, such as the following:
Ensuring a Sterile Environment
Because of CHD, the child’s immune system is consequently weakened as well. What would otherwise be a simple bug or exposure to other kids could send the child with CHD to the hospital. It is therefore up to the parents to make sure that they take the necessary precautions to keep their child’s health safe and secure.
It’s not just about keeping the child’s room and the rest of the home as sterile as possible. It’s also about making sure that anyone coming into your home or coming in contact with your child is also aware and informed of the need to take precautions.
Cost of Medications, Treatments, and Care
This disease is definitely one of the most expensive. Even with the safety net of good health insurance, the rest of the costs not covered by the policy will eventually add up. Medication for CHD can have up to several prescriptions in a day. Most of this will have to be taken for the long-term.
If the opportunity for surgery arises, then the parents can also expect more medications to add up to the regular prescriptions. Special diets, physical rehabilitation, and other efforts to help give the child the best quality of life would also have to be factored into the budget.
Specialized Parenting Skills
Having a child with CHD requires a different approach to parenting. There’s a much greater need to be alert in the surroundings, make sure that everything is in its proper place, especially if there are tubes attached to the child.
The stress level is going to be higher also because of the additional worry, plus the extra attention that would be given to the child with CHD, which means less attention for the other children in the meantime.
Being a parent to a child with CHD is a delicate balancing act, which is why seeking support from a group is important. Parents need to be able to take care of their well-being so that they can be at their best to take care of their child with CHD.