Sick children get help

„Center for congenital malformations“ founded in Frankfurt

07/25/2013

At the University Hospital Frankfurt there are various disciplines for the „Center for congenital malformations“ The first center of its kind was founded in Hesse, with the aim of treating affected children according to the latest medical standards from now on.

„Child with malformations first a big shock“
Not a few children come to birth with congenital malformations, which means overwhelming demands for most parents at first, because „For the affected parents, a child with malformations is a big shock“, says Thomas Klingebiel, director of the clinic for pediatric and adolescent medicine in Frankfurt. In view of the situation, they are deeply insecure, so it would be extremely important to know that the child receives the best possible medical care.

Interdisciplinary cooperation enables medical care at the highest level
In order to be able to offer the best possible support to newborns and children with malformations, the University of Frankfurt is now the first in the country to do so „Center for congenital malformations“, in which the highest level of medical care is to be ensured through the interdisciplinary cooperation of various university expert fields: „With our center, we want to make sure that the children receive the best medical care and at the same time that the parents are not left alone with their worries“, said the head of the center Professor Rolf Schlößer, Professor Udo Rolle and Professor Frank Louwen.

Parents are in good hands at the University Hospital Frankfurt
Specifically, it is about cases such as the three-year-old Ben: At first glance, completely healthy, had come during pregnancy and during labor problems, because Ben is at a so-called „gastroschisis“ suffers, a congenital malformation of the abdominal wall, which had already been recognized in the 15th week of pregnancy, like the „Frankfurter Rundschau“ (FR) reported. Ben's mother was referred to the University of Frankfurt after this diagnosis, Ben was then brought directly after his birth, the outgrown intestine back under the abdominal wall. Afterwards it was time to breathe deeply, because „First everything went well, but then Ben could not keep any food and had to be operated on again“, so Yvonne Puxbaumer opposite the „FR“, but since then everything went well and the child has no more problems. Despite the difficult time, the mother was in the Frankfurt University Hospital „felt very well and in good hands“ and also for her husband, the clinic has remained in positive memory: „We were scared and we were not just any number.“

About five percent of newborns are born with birth defects
Cases like Ben are not uncommon, because according to the Frankfurt University Hospital, about five percent of newborns in Germany are born with malformations, such as a cleft lip and palate, a clubfoot or a congenital heart defect, which in many cases directly after require a specific therapy for the birth: „To ensure a good work, this requires a collaboration of different disciplines“, so Dr. med. Boris Wittekindt, Specialist Coordinator for Children with Congenital Malformations. Correspondingly, the new center will focus primarily on children's, plastic facial and neurosurgeons, as well as specialists in dermatology and orthopedics, as well as specialists in ear, nose and throat medicine and ophthalmology. In particular, the constant exchange is very important: „For ten years we meet weekly and talk about children with malformations“, supplements Prof. Dr. med. med. Frank Louwen, Head of Obstetrics and Prenatal Medicine.

Central goals: transparency and comprehensibility
It was also important to provide the parents of the affected children with the best possible support, so be „One of the main objectives of the new Center for Congenital Abnormalities [...] is to make the complex treatment pathways more transparent and comprehensible to the parents of the affected children“, so the current press release of the university hospital Frankfurt. Accordingly, the parents would be accompanied from the time of prenatal diagnosis in all diagnostic and therapeutic steps and in a special consultation by representatives of Pediatric Surgery, Neonatology and Pediatric Cardiology together with the prenatal doctors already advised before giving birth and informed about the possibilities of treating congenital malformations. In addition, according to the University Hospital „For the further treatment of the patients after the acute care [...] also an interdisciplinary consulting hour established, in which among other things a psychological and social support is offered.“ (No)

Picture credits: Michael Bührke