Dayton Children’s Hospital

Our Stories

One in a million

“I can’t find her foot”

At Megan’s 20-week ultrasound during pregnancy, the technician thought the baby might have her right leg “tucked up” toward her tummy, and she was having a hard time getting a clear picture. Megan and her husband Chris were asked to walk around for 15 minutes and come back. The tech tried once again and still couldn’t see the baby’s right leg.

That’s when the Carroll’s were referred to the Fetal to Newborn Care Center, a collaborative between the

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Bladder exstrophy

Dr. Jayanthi, Chief of Urology at Dayton Children’s, began caring for Gemma before she was even born. When Gemma’s mom, Lydia, was six months pregnant an ultrasound and MRI performed at Dayton Children’s confirmed that Gemma had bladder exstrophy, a rare and complex condition where the bladder forms outside of a baby’s body. On average, this condition occurs in about 1 out of every 50,000 live births.

Because of prenatal counseling from the urology team, Gemma was discharged home directly

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Fetal care with compassion

When Lindsay Ackley became pregnant with her second child, she was no stranger to the pregnancy journey ahead. Due to gestational diabetes in her first pregnancy, she was considered high-risk and started seeing her OB/GYN early in her first trimester. She also saw the maternal fetal specialists with the Fetal to Newborn Care Center, a partnership between Premier Health and Dayton Children’s Hospital.

However, at her 10-week fetal ultrasound, Lindsay, and her partner Kevin, were surprised to learn the scan indicated that

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Julia Coltri

Julia Coltri, MS, LGC, CGC is a board-certified, state-licensed genetic counselor.  She earned her Bachelor’s degree in biology from Brandeis University and her Master’s of Science degree in Genetic Counseling from The Ohio State University.  She is an Adjunct Assistant Professor of Internal Medicine at The Ohio State University and serves as a clinical supervisor. Her clinical interests include prenatal diagnosis, the prenatal presentation of rare diseases, healthcare disparities, management of genetic diseases in pregnant individuals, and patient-centered support and

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Our Stories

Beth and Bryan Expect the Unexpected

As many expectant parents, do, Beth Hirn and her husband, Bryan, prepared a birth plan for their son Westin. But their plan was much more complex than most.They met with specialists and toured neonatal intensive care units (NICUs); planned a C-section; discussed medical interventions; prepared for the fact that he might not make it; and more.

“We had our 20-week ultrasound with Westin, and our regular OB had thought that he had a diaphragmatic hernia …

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Nora began to fight for her life as soon as she was whisked away at birth

Gastroschisis success story

“I knew that my baby would be taken from me as soon as she delivered, but nothing prepares you for that,” said Brandy.  “I didn’t even get to see her when she was born and I didn’t know if she was going to live or die.  Dayton Children’s transport was there on scene waiting for her arrival and I got to touch her little hand for just a minute before they took her to their neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). 

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Constant Care Eases Worries

Nixon Seagraves is a typical toddler – all boy. It’s something that Emily and her husband, Joby, doubt they’ll ever take for granted – not after all that Nixon has been through.

In the beginning Emily’s pregnancy was normal, then her life changed during a third trimester ultrasound. The ultrasound revealed that the ventricles in Nixon’s brain – the structures that hold spinal fluid – were twice as large as normal for his stage of development.

Only a few causes of severe

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