Michael Barbella, Managing Editor10.01.20
Irie Felkner greeted this world a bit too early. Born at 27 weeks, the tiny pre-term infant weighed less than two pounds and spent her first post-womb days fighting for her life.
Irie was dealt the genetic equivalent of a 7-2 offset poker hand: The large blood vessel connecting her pulmonary artery and aorta failed to close, allowing blood from the two veins to mix. This biological blunder can cause the heart and lungs to work harder, and eventually the lungs to become congested.
The condition, known as patent ductus arteriosus (PDA), occurs in 5 to 10 percent of all children born with congenital heart disease. It is twice as likely to manifest itself in girls as in boys (Irie’s twin brother’s heart was normal), and is more common in babies born prematurely, according to industry data.
Fortunately for Irie, there was a technological fix for her anatomical anomaly—the Amplatzer Piccolo Occluder from Abbott Laboratories. Slightly larger than Roosevelt’s ear on the U.S. dime, the Occluder received U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval in January 2019.
Abbott’s Occluder,
Irie was dealt the genetic equivalent of a 7-2 offset poker hand: The large blood vessel connecting her pulmonary artery and aorta failed to close, allowing blood from the two veins to mix. This biological blunder can cause the heart and lungs to work harder, and eventually the lungs to become congested.
The condition, known as patent ductus arteriosus (PDA), occurs in 5 to 10 percent of all children born with congenital heart disease. It is twice as likely to manifest itself in girls as in boys (Irie’s twin brother’s heart was normal), and is more common in babies born prematurely, according to industry data.
Fortunately for Irie, there was a technological fix for her anatomical anomaly—the Amplatzer Piccolo Occluder from Abbott Laboratories. Slightly larger than Roosevelt’s ear on the U.S. dime, the Occluder received U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval in January 2019.
Abbott’s Occluder,
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