Baby diagnosed with heart condition at two weeks old returns home after six months in hospital

A baby who was diagnosed with a heart condition two weeks after being born has returned home after a six month stay in hospital.

Millie Malloy was admitted to the Royal Hospital for Children in Glasgow on November 30, 2023 with a cardiac condition called coarctation of the aorta.

Her condition was first raised after a sonographer picked up something different about the baby’s heart while in the womb, with Millie born on November 10, 2023.

The newborn spent six months in hospital, undergoing heart surgery less than a month after being admitted and spent 19 hours in theatre.

Her mum, Emma Malloy said: “During surgery there were a few complications. We were advised that the team needed to stop her heart and cannulate her lower body because of how extensive it was.

“Once the surgery was finished, she then had a bleed in the heart so had to be opened back up, causing her chest being open for four days.”

Baby Millie spent six months in hospital, undergoing heart surgery less than a month after being admitted. NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde

Emma, recalling Millie’s birth, said: “The plan was to deliver naturally, and the heart condition wasn’t at the forefront of our minds. We didn’t think there would be any complications which would require surgery.

“On November 10, 2023, Millie was born. She looked perfect and we didn’t have any issues at birth.

“We were home for two weeks, but Millie had lost quite a bit of weight.

“It was at that point we attended the RHC for an Echo & ECG with Dr Hunter and it was identified she had coarctation of the aorta as well as a right aortic arch.

“Dr Hunter called us and asked us to come in the next morning and to bring a hospital bag for myself and Millie for her CT scan.

“That’s when our stay began and lasted until this week.”

On Christmas Day, removal of the baby’s breathing tube did not work as medics identified she had one paralysed vocal cord and Laryngomalacia.

Doctors made three attempts to put a stitch in her vocal cord to help her to breath on her own, described as a rare procedure for her size.

While each attempt worked, complications arose during recovery before a third procedure proved to be a success.

Doctors made three attempts to put a stitch in her vocal cord to help her to breath on her own. Photo: NHSGGC.

Emma added: “There were many terrifying moments between the three stitch procedures, and, at times, it felt like we were going backwards.

“The doctors kept us informed throughout the process and we were happy about how they worked together to do the best for Millie.

“Following the third stitch being put on her vocal cord, she has gone from strength to strength. It’s taken a lot of conversations between teams and juggling things around for her to get where she is.

“One thing that was crucial was Ward 1E accepting her back on the airflow, enabling her to get this treatment and not a tracheostomy.”

Millie’s aorta was described as hypoplastic, which meant that it hadn’t fully developed, her right arch had severe coarctation, and she also had a vascular ring.

Emma explained how emotional the journey home to Carluke in South Lanarkshire has been: “The hospital has been our home for the last six months. I was really emotional saying goodbye to everyone.

“We are so grateful to all the staff that looked after all of us since we have been here.

“There are far too many to mention individually, and we feel like we owe her main consultants so much.

“They have given her the best life she could have. If it wasn’t for her cardiac surgery Millie wouldn’t be here with us today.

“There are not enough words to describe how thankful we are.”

Dr Hunter said medical staff are delighted to see how Millie has progressed: “It has been a pleasure to care for Millie and her family from the start of this challenging journey.

“Both Millie and her family have shown great strength and patience throughout. I have the honour of continuing to care for her in the cardiac outpatient setting, watching her grow and develop.

“There was a lot of emotion the day she was discharged, but both the team and I are delighted she is now at home beginning an exciting new stage of her life, with her family around her.”