Since I already answered the ? re: VSD TGV  I guess I'll take some
liberties addressing the other words PDA is term for patent ductus
arteriosis a congenital heart defect when the infant' ductus which is the
connection between the aorta and the pulmonary artery which provides blood
mixing essential to the pre-birth heart circulation, its what makes the
placental mother to child blood flow work to properly oxygenate the
developing infant. But at birth or shortly afterwards the ductus arteriosis
closes due to chemical, oxygen changes and pressure changes of the now
breathing infant. Sometimes the ductus doesn't close off after birth and
the baby can present with a simple murmur that usually closes within the
first few hours, sometimes the baby gets into serious life threatening
instablity and can get sick very rapidly. Sometimes they use a
prostaglandin synthetase inhibitor ie: Indocin to close the PDA sometimes
they do a tie off surgical procedure.

HELLP is a condition of the women usually in the last trimester and it is
sort of a VERY serious form of pregancy induced hypertension PIH with
severe symptoms such as VERY high BP--H elevated Liver enzymes--L, Low
Platelets--LP and the mom can end up in ICU intensive Care Unit on death's
door with what is called DIC or Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation
which literally clots up all the platelets in circulation and leaves the
blood unclottable so the woman bleeds out of every body opening and into
every organ causing massive destruction of the organ systems ie: kidneys,
liver, all the rest fails and without the most incredible interventiona
including many 100's of blood products, units, transfusions from many
donors she would die (which is why some MDs would advise a new mom to opt
for ABM) to reduce the relative risk she could have been infected with Hep
C or HIV or HTLV III an aids like virus common in asia and other parts of
the world soon to be more common here, more reasons THEY will discourage
breastfeeding.

        Anyone out here listening to this I hope I explained it correctly
and sufficiently. By the way why do we seem to have SO MUCH HELLP and so
serious ?
I've been an ob nurse for 20 years this year and I've never seen so much
increase in life threatening HELLP, and I've noticed a huge increase in
perinatal Cholecystitis Gallbladder Attacks necessitating surgery shortly
after delivery with lots of attacks before delivery and another reason some
mom's terminate breastfeeding without lots of support...WHY ? inquiring
minds want to know.......

        Our maternity outcomes don't seem to be improving, only getting
more complicated......When I started out C-sections were rare but our
babies weren't
sicker than they are now, more kids need jump starts (oxygen under hood)
than ever before.hmmmmmm ?