Antenatal diagnosis publications - Little Hearts Matter

A huge thank you to Taylor for highlighting our leg pain in CHD study, here's the link for anyone who missed it 👇www.lhm.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/CTY18-009PRF.pdfTaylor is a medical student with a single ventricle heart condition, you can follow her amazing journey by clicking the link below 👇Fontan with a Future - A Medical Student's CHD Journey#halfaheartnothalfalife#tuesdaymotivationRaise your hand if you’re a Fontan patient and experience leg pain!All my life I have had occasional aches in my legs, especially after a day of strenuous activity. I thought it was just “growing pains” but I continued to experience this after I stopped growing.Interestingly, a recent study found that this phenomenon is common in Fontan patients. In fact, 94% of patients with Fontan circulation reported leg pain compared to 30% of their healthy siblings. While this study only looked at 220 patients, I think the findings are striking. The authors don’t know exactly what causes this pain but proposed some ideas like decreased oxygenation levels, lower vitamin D or decreased bone density.Fortunately, this pain can be easily treated with over-the-counter pain medicine, heat, or massage. While it is uncomfortable, there is no reason to believe it is harmful or dangerous. Still, it would be interesting to get to the bottom of this and help those who suffer from pain frequently.Would love to hear from others if you have had similar experiences!If you’re interested to read more you can check out the article: www.lhm.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/CTY18-009PRF.pdfLeg Pains in CHD: a distressing symptom of a wider problem, Hutchinson et al.#heartwarrior #medicalstudent #wellness #research ... See MoreSee Less