by Amy D., Fall 2002

Our precious baby boy was born. Oh, I felt so much relief that he was finally here, September 20, 1998, after a long 36 weeks. As I received a thumbs up from the observing pediatrician, I felt relieved and ready for rest. As I was moved into a private room, my husband went with the baby to the nursery. After 20 minutes went by I was so ready to see my new bundle of joy! No one was around, no nurse, no relatives--it seemed as if I was the only one in the hospital.

We love hearing updates from people. Here's one that came in recently:

Dr. Daryl A. Scott and researchers in his laboratory are working to identify the genes that cause EA/TEF. A brief description of his research can be found at http://www.bcm.edu/genetics/?pmid=11041. Families interested in learning more about participating in genetic studies on EA/TEF can contact him via e-mail at dscott@bcm.tmc.edu.

Daryl A. Scott, MD/PhD
Baylor College of Medicine
R813, One Baylor Plaza
Mail Stop: BCM 225
Houston, TX 77030

There are so many things to learn when you have a child born with ea/tef that certain aspects of the condition remain a little fuzzy for a while. You figure out the eating stuff quickly. And surgeries, you focus on those too. But you keep hearing one word that you can’t quite keep in your head, the whole word anyway: trachea- something.

Strictures develop post surgery usually because scar tissue grows at the surgery site. Scar tissue, sadly, is inevitable, but not all ea/tef children are affected by it. Some have their esophagus repaired and never look back. Others need a few post-op dilations early on before being able to take the surgeon’s phone number off the speed dial.

A few ea/tef children need to be dilated even years after surgery. My son is one of those. After the dozens of dilations he had early on, going in twice a year to be dilated seems pretty manageable, if not exactly fun.

What are proton pump inhibitors, anyway?
Chances are, your child is has been on one or is on one now, since PPI’s are a primary weapon in the arsenal against reflux and esophagitis. Here’s how they work: Your stomach produces acid to help break down food so it is easier to digest. In certain circumstances, this acid can irritate the lining of your stomach, esophagus and duodenum (the top end of your small intestine), causing indigestion and even ulceration and bleeding. The proton pump inhibitors work by blocking the production of stomach acid. They do this by inhibiting (shutting down) a system in the stomach known as the proton pump.

The revelation came over dinner at the hospital cafeteria. Our son James, the youngest, was in the hospital again (pneumonia that time, I think) and I’d taken our two older children to get something to eat. During the meal, I played the role of journalist, asking both Catherine and Aidan what it was like to have a brother in the hospital.