[News Today] Baby with heart outside body survives

[LEAD]
A newborn born with her heart outside her body has survived against the odds for the first time in Korea.

The condition is extremely rare, affecting about five in a million births, and saving the baby required an all-out effort from medical staff.

[REPORT]
Seo-rin was born in April.

Her heart, about the size of a ping-pong ball, protruded from the center of her chest and could be seen beating.

The condition, known as ectopia cordis, is so severe that most babies die before birth.

Baek Jae-suk / Professor, Department of Pediatric Cardiology, Asan Medical Center
With the heart protruding, it was difficult to maintain blood pressure, and acidosis continued. We were not sure if we could save her.

Without a sternum or ribs to protect the heart, even babies who are born typically survive only a few days.

To save Seo-rin, medical teams from six departments at Asan Medical Center were mobilized.

Doctors placed her on a ventilator to sustain her life.

After three operations during her first month, they successfully placed her heart back inside her chest.

This marks the first successful treatment of a newborn with ectopia cordis in Korea.

Choi Se-hoon / Professor, Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Asan Medical Center
Both lungs were filling the chest cavity, making it difficult to insert the heart.
We had to push, pull, and repeat the process over three separate operations.

At two months old, the heart was covered with cultured skin.

Doctors also created a custom-made protective device using 3D printing.

On her 100th day after birth, Seo-rin smiled brightly for the first time.

After enduring months of intensive treatment, she was discharged from hospital at eight months old.

Her heart is now beating strongly in its proper place inside her body.

Lee Hae-yeon / Seo-rin’s mother
I was so proud to see her overcome each treatment one by one.
I hope we can continue to get through future treatments together.

Seo-rin’s mother expressed gratitude to the medical staff, saying she could not give up on the child she had after 14 rounds of in vitro fertilization.

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