2. Sponsored Training for your hospital

Tiny Tickers provides 'hands-on' training and education to improve the detection of heart disease before birth.

Since 2002 we have visited and trained over 75 NHS maternity hospitals, across the UK (1/3rd of all NHS maternity hospitals, excluding smaller clinics) and distributed educational posters and CDs showing the 5 Transverse Views
(a comprehensive way to scan a baby's heart in the womb, that is also practical and timely).

For more information see our health professionals pages.

We can provide a 2-day sponsored training package to hospitals.  This can be part of a specific event (e.g. as part of a training package for new obstetric ultrasound equipment), or through a fundraising event for that hospital.  For more information see Fetal Heart Scan Training for a hospital? (scroll down to "Item 11" at bottom of page). 
Contact us if you are interested.

4. Emergency Ward Womb: fetal interventions (2002-2006)

An "in-utero" fetal intervention is an operation that is performed on a baby whilst still in the womb.

2006: The International Fetal Medicine & Surgical Society (IFMSS) celebrated its 25th annual conference in 2006 with a special look back over more than 20 years of pioneering fetal interventions.

The Sunday Times featured an article in October 2006 on fetal operations in the womb ... read the article online

2005: The Children's Heart Center, Linz celebrated its 10th anniversary in 2005 with an international conference on fetal and pediatric cardiology, featuring interventions & treatment on left-sided heart disease from centres around the world.

2003: The first international conference dedicated to emerging fetal cardiac interventions was held in Boston with representatives from major centres across the world.  One aim was to develop a protocol so that new techniques can be applied consistently worldwide.

Memorandum: to UK Parliament Select Committee on Health (June 2003):
Effective improvement in the national detection of congenital heart disease at the 20-week scan

2002: UK's first fetal pulmonary valvotomy

The UK's first successful opening of a fetal pulmonary valve in the womb was published in the Lancet, in the press, on BBC Radio 4's TODAY programme and prompted an online exhibition in the London Science Museum: Fixing tiny tickers

Extract from press articles (Sunday Express, 24.3.2002)

Whilst still in the womb, Jamie, was diagnosed with a closing heart valve, seriously affecting his heart development. 

In the past, Jamie might have been delivered at 29 weeks gestation as a premature baby, barely strong enough to survive the necessary heart operation to open his heart valve.  However a new procedure could open his pulmonary heart valve inside the womb, allowing Jamie more time to continue to grow.

The new procedure was a success, allowing Jamie a further 5-6 weeks of vital growth before delivery.  During these vital weeks the heart almost doubles in size and so becomes easier to operate on.

This was a UK first and the UK team were advised by the pioneering Austrian team.  When he was delivered at 35 weeks, Jamie was a lot stronger and able to undergo a successful heart operation using a "shunt" to improve blood circulation.  

Update (Feb. 2006):  Jamie celebrated his 4th birthday and is one of a growing number of heart babies, who have also been successfully treated in the womb.   Link:  http://www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/antenna/tickers/121.asp

5. Antenatal Screening for CoHD in Europe

Holland starts antenatal screening, 2006
The Dutch government began routine antenatal ultrasound screening at 20 weeks for all women in 2006.  Tiny Tickers supplied information on our "5 Transverse View" protocol to the  FMF Netherlands, so that their sonographers can screen for congenital heart disease before birth. 

6. Adult CoHD (GUCH) articles

Heart disease in pregnancy (16/2/2006) 
More than 125,000 women in the UK with congenital heart disease (CoHD) are at serious risk during pregnancy, according to a report from London hospitals.  It is the second most common cause of maternal death.

Women who are born with congenital heart disease should alert their doctors when they decide to have children of their own, so that the right care can be given. 

Link to our community pages, which include information, on Grown Up Congenital Heart (GUCH), as well as tips before, during and after pregnancy.

More GUCH news
In 2003, the BHF estimated that there are over 150,000 adults in the UK over 16 years of age with congenital heart disease (CoHD). (source: BHF report, 2003).  Link to www.guch.org.uk (Grown Up Congenital Heart Patients Assoc.)

Tim ONeill, in Oz, is raising money for Heartkids Australia: http://beatinghearts4kids.blogspot.com

Paul Youngson raised money for GUCH over 18 months (2006-7) by trading some unique items, starting with a piece of rope: http://money-for-old-rope.blogspot.com (this is now finished).