Some Education

On my blog, in the past, i have expressed when people are stupid-heads and jerks and ignorant and how much is just pisses me off.  But this past month really took the cake.  I got a letter, from a family member (of course...it always seems to be a family member that is the most ignorant)....anyway, a letter, that I guess was supposed to be a nice Christmas letter but inside entailed a lecture of how this time I need to eat more fruits and vegetables to I won't have baby born with deformities (ya know....like the one I have now).  And then I guess they thought they would list their own "deformities" because their mother didn't eat right during pregnancy...such "deformities" included bad vision, a heart issue, bad hearing, and some other bullshiz.

Okay...so lets break this down.  If you have bad vision, bad hearing, and heart issues...that is usually because of genes passed down from your parents....or that you drank diet coke all your life, only ate shit with preservatives, or even just getting older does it to you. 

Some Education:  Now the heart issue. 
Me and Emmet both having congenital heart defects are in no way related to each other, believe it or not. CHD's are the #1 birth defect worldwide.  One in 100 babies are born with a CHD.  CHD's are common!!!!  There is no MANDATORY prenatal testing for this!  But there should be!!!! All it is a 10 minute fetal-echo cardiogram.  It is non-invasive....it is basically an ultrasound...but with a special machine.  This should be a mandatory prenatal test, as nearly TWICE as many children die from undiagnosed CHDs each year, more than all the childhood cancers combined!

 Also, me having a CHD had nothing to do with what my mom did during pregnancy.  Many commercials are coming out nowadays saying if you were born with a heart defect and your mom took this med or used this bug spray, or gardened alot....she could be the blame (yes....gardening, lol, what a joke).  My mother did none of these.  When I was a little fetus and my heart was forming itself during the first few weeks after conception, my aorta and left ventricle decided to switch places.  It happens.
Now, Emmett has a heart issue because he has Down Syndrome.  His CHD is directly related to his Down Syndrome....as 50%-60% of children born with DS also have a CHD.

Some Education: Down Syndrome
Emmett being born with Down Syndrome had nothing to do with anything I or my husband did before or during pregnancy.  Down Syndrome happens at the moment of conception.  It is what they call a fluke. 

Here is what happens:  Each of us has 46 chromosomes in our DNA...in each chromosome are tons of cells, in each of these cells, there are thousands of genes, and each gene makes up your body, personality, everything!  Each gene has a job!  Now when a fetus is being made.....23 chromosomes come from mom, and 23 chromosomes come from dad.  So now, little fetus has 46 chromosomes.  Now what happens that makes DS happens?  Sometimes....when it is the 21st chromosomes turn to join the other 21st chromosome, instead of 1 coming from dad and 1 coming from mom....another little 21st chromosome decides to tag along.  Therefore, the fetus now has 3 copies of the 21st chromosome instead of just 2.  And for some reason, The 21st chromosome, when having that extra copy, makes a child with Down Syndrome.  A child with Down Syndrome has 47 chromosomes in their DNA.  The medical name for DS is Trisomy 21, it was discovered by John Langdon Down and that is why is it is called Down Syndrome (not Downs Syndrome). 

Some Education: Miscarriages
I was trying to find the exact link, but I have found enough supporting evidence and even asked my perinatologist to confirm.  90% of miscarriages are due to a baby that has a chromosomal abnormality.  Why does the baby miscarriage?  Scientists have not found an exact reason but they believe that a woman's immune system senses the abnormality and nature takes it course to terminate the pregnancy on its own.  I want women to know that miscarriages are not their fault and not becuz of something you did during the pregnancy.  I look at miscarriages as not meant to be.  But, then why are some children with abnormalities born and survive....such as Emmett?  Again, there is no definite answer.  Sometimes, the baby makes it.  But also, if you have read my blog....you might remember that Emmett did stop developing in the womb, and they were concerned for his health....they kept him in as long as they could, just as they would with any other baby, until he finally had to come out.

Now I am sorry for the long blog post, I just need to vent; but also to educate.  Becuz as long as someone out there in the blogging world is reading my blog and learning something...anything.  It makes me happy and more strong to take the ignorance of other people.  And its okay to be ignorant...but it is not okay to stay ignorant.  Ask, Read, email, private message me.  I would rather you ask a blunt question than get some passive aggressive, offending letter, disguised as good advice.