From the Blog

Approximately 40,000 infants are born with a congenital heart defect (CHD) annually in the United States. Thanks to research and medical advances, the majority of individuals with CHD now survive through adulthood and live quality lives. According to the American Heart Association, adults now surpass children among the more than 2.4 million people living with CHD in the United States.

When Sophia MacKay learned she was pregnant with her first child, Dash, she and her husband were ecstatic. Her OBGYN, however, was cautious. Sophia had been born with a congenital heart defect, and it was unclear what effect the condition would have on her pregnancy. To ensure the best outcome, three Pediatrix® Medical Group physicians collaborated to provide a continuum of care for both mother an ...

Various congenital and acquired medical conditions can have life-long health implications. Such is the case for 26-year-old Kolten Rathburn, who was born with Marfan syndrome, a genetic disorder that affects the connective tissue that supports numerous body parts, including the bones, cartilage and blood vessels. 

Giving birth to a baby with congenital heart disease or having a child with an acquired heart condition takes a toll on parents. Above all else, they want to know that their child will receive the best care from highly experienced pediatric heart specialists. 

Approximately 40,000 babies (or one in every 100 newborns) in the United States are born each year with congenital heart defects (CHDs). Roughly 1 million children are living with CHDs. Until recent years, many children with CHDs were less likely to reach adulthood, depending on the severity of the condition.

Not all hearts in February are for Valentine’s Day. Annually, February marks American Heart Month. At Pediatrix, we’re proud to support the subspecialty of pediatric cardiology. But our cardiology care doesn’t end with children.  Joel Hardin, M.D., FAAP, FACC, FAHA, and a handful of other Pediatrix clinicians, are among a subset of providers in the unique subspecialty of adult congenital heart dis ...

As MEDNAX gears up for a year-long celebration of 40 years in health care, our pediatric cardiology division is making a mark of its own.

It’s fair to say James Thompson, MD, is an expert in patent foramen ovale (PFO) device implantation, having performed device closure procedures more than 1,000 times spanning nearly two decades. A pediatric cardiologist and medical director with Child Cardiology Associates, an affiliate of MEDNAX, in Fairfax, Virginia, Thompson has worked with the devices since their early years, practiced through ...

It may seem like a curious idea for adult patients to be seen by pediatric physicians, but this is relatively common for individuals living with congenital heart disease (CHD). As recently as just a few decades, the prognosis was poor for patients born with heart defects, and often they did not survive beyond childhood. However, thanks to medical advances, CHD patients are living longer and fuller ...

Ashlee Michalski, 27, had her first open heart surgery shortly after birth in Syracuse, New York. In the same hospital, Janusz Burzynski, MD, was completing his pediatric cardiology fellowship training. Although Michalski and Burzynski parted ways during her early life, the two reconnected as patient and physician in Florida when Ashlee was 5 years old. Now two decades later, Michalski works for a ...