Can a baby survive with ectopia cordis?

Can a baby survive with ectopia cordis?

Unfortunately, the ectopia cordis survival rate is just 10%. Most babies born with hearts outside their bodies have severe intracardiac abnormalities are stillborn or die within the first few days of life. Those who survive require extensive surgeries and lifelong medical care delivered by a team of specialists.

What causes ectopia cordis?

Ectopia cordis happens because all or at least part of a child’s breastbone (sternum) fails to develop normally. Instead of closing up, the chest remains open. This happens very early on in embryonic development.

What is an ectopia cordis?

Ectopia cordis is a rare congenital condition in which some or all of a baby’s heart doesn’t have the typical coverage of the breastbone. The heart instead lies beneath a layer of skin and appears to be outside the chest.

Can your heart be outside?

Ectopia cordis (Greek: “away / out of place” + Latin: “heart”) or ectopic heart is a congenital malformation in which the heart is abnormally located either partially or totally outside of the thorax. The ectopic heart can be found along a spectrum of anatomical locations, including the neck, chest, or abdomen.

Can ectopia cordis be treated?

To treat ectopia cordis itself, the main goal of surgery is to close the open chest wall. The surgeon and health care team will also place the heart within the thorax and repair any other cardiac defects. Whether or not these surgeries can happen depends on the kind of ectopia cordis.

Can your heart pump without your brain?

The heart can beat on its own The heart does not need a brain, or a body for that matter, to keep beating. The heart has its own electrical system that causes it to beat and pump blood. Because of this, the heart can continue to beat for a short time after brain death, or after being removed from the body.

How long can you live with ectopia cordis?

And while most of them are either stillborn or die within 3 days after birth, there is reason for some hope. Health care teams that include doctors, nurses, occupational and physical therapists, and other specialists have helped some babies with ectopia cordis to live for weeks or even years.