Dr. Brian McDonough: Bella Santorum’s Condition Makes Even A Common Cold Deadly

January 29, 2012 8:23 AM

Santorum Rises In Polls As He Continues Iowa Campaign

Reporting Dr. Brian McDonough

Filed under

Health, Heard On, Local, News, Philadelphia, Politics, Syndicated Local, Watch + Listen

Featured Gallery

May Is Asthma Awareness Month: Celebrities With Asthma

For more trusted health

news and information,

visit CBS Philly's

Check Out

By Dr. Brian McDonough

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) – Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum was spending Sunday in the hospital rather than the campaign trail, after his daughter was fell ill Saturday night.

Bella Santorum is 3-and-a-half-years-old and suffers from Trisomy-18, a genetic condition caused by the presence of all or part of an extra 18th chromosome.

READ: Santorum Cancels Florida Events After Daughter Is Admitted To Hospital

As KYW Newsradio‘s Dr. Brian McDonough explains, An infant with Trisomy-18 rarely makes it through the first week. And even after that, complications from something as simple as a common cold can be deadly.

In Trisomy-18, early on there are so many problems, they can actually affect a child’s survival at that point, and problems like a common cold or other issues can become so much more problematic because the immune system is affected and it’s a tough — with so many problems, you’re talking kidney, heart and other issues it’s very difficult to fight through a lot of things, so there’s always that concern.

When a child is born in this situation, they very rarely make it past the first week, because one or two problems can be overwhelming and it just kind of piles up. And, even with the great institutions we have, it’s tough to get children through that first week. Those who do get through it tend to do a little better, but again, we’re talking about a short lifespan, and that’s one the tragedies associated with it.

The fact this child’s 3-and-a-half, means there’s obviously been a great deal of care, but also the child has done well with treatments as well. So, going to the hospital certainly is not something that would be unexpected, but every time a child goes to the hospital with Trisomy-18, you worry a great deal.

MOST VIEWED GALLERIES

PHOTOS: Best Female Musicians Of The 2000s
PHOTOS: Celebrity Infidelity Scandals
PHOTOS: Celebrity Birthdays: May
PHOTOS: Top 20 Most Hated Hollywood Celebrities
PHOTOS: Spring Fashion Trends As Told By Celebrities

Dr. Brian McDonough: Bella Santorum’s Condition Makes Even A Common Cold Deadly

james blair

wish my son with a genetic disorder did not keep getting thrown off the PA medical assistance – nice to have help like santorum’s daughter gets from somewhere. It would be nice if Congress members just had to wade through the paperwork
http://www.bizzboard.com/news/santorums-baby-puts-spotlight-on-genetic-disorder/ Santorum’s baby puts spotlight on genetic disorder | BiZZBo@rd | Find People Who Share Your Business.

[...] “When a child is innate in this situation, they really frequency make it past a initial week, given one or dual problems can be strenuous and it only kind of piles up,” Dr. Brian McDonough, clinical highbrow of family medicine during Temple University who is not concerned in Bella’s care, told CBS Philly. [...]
http://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/2012/01/28/santorum-cancels-florida-campaign-events-after-daughter-is-admitted-to-hospital/ Santorum Cancels Florida Campaign Events After Daughter Is Admitted To Hospital « CBS Philly

[...] READ: Dr. Brian McDonough Explains Trisomy-18 [...]
Beebea Tratrish

must be nice to have health insurance. many of us don’t and sanctimonious santorum would deny it to others even though he gets it from his Koch brothers funding. he’s a bigot and there are thousands of starving children in the US. who cares about him and his, I DON’T!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
http://dailynewsx.com/3475/dr-brian-mcdonough-bella-santorum%e2%80%99s-condition-makes-even-a-common-cold-deadly.html Dr. Brian McDonough: Bella Santorum’s Condition Makes Even A Common Cold Deadly | The Daily News

[...] trisomy eighteen – Yahoo! News Search Results Related to Dr. Brian McDonough: Bella Santorum’s Condition Makes Even A Common Cold DeadlySANTORUM CANCELS EVENTS AFTER ADMITTING DAUGHTER TO HOSPITAL(CNN) – Rick Santorum's three-year-old daughter Isabella, who suffers from a chromosomal condition called Trisomy 18, was admitted to a Philadelphia hospital Saturday. In a …SANTORUM TAKES DAUGHTER TO HOSPITAL, CANCELS EVENTSBy The CNN Political Unit POSTED: 10:37 pm EST January 28, 2012UPDATED: 11:11 am EST January 29, 2012 (CNN) — Rick Santorum's three-year-old daughter Isabella, …SANTORUM ADMITS DAUGHTER TO HOSPITAL, CANCELS EVENTSBy The CNN Political Unit POSTED: 10:37 pm EST January 28, 2012UPDATED: 11:57 am EST January 29, 2012 (CNN) — Rick Santorum's three-year-old daughter Isabella, …SANTORUM CANCELS CAMPAIGN EVENTS TO BE WITH TRISOMY 18-AFFECTED DAUGHTER; WHAT IS TRISOMY 18?Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum has cancelled all his campaign events scheduled for Sunday, according to a statement released by his campaign office. The cancelations …PARENTS OF BABIES WITH TRISOMY 18 SAYING GOODBYE TO SUPPORT GROUP Published Sunday, January 29, 2012 12:05 AM By MICHELLE CASADYmichelle.casady@theeagle.com Holly and Nate Sharp hold their 3-week-old son Austin while surrounded by their other … [...]
http://www.directglobalmedia.com/?p=143279 Dr. Brian McDonough: Bella Santorum’s Condition Makes Even A Common Cold Deadly – CBS Local « Current News « Direct Global Media

[...] more here: Dr. Brian McDonough: Bella Santorum’s Condition Makes Even A Common Cold Deadly – CBS Lo… [...]
http://cbsphilly.wordpress.com/2012/01/28/santorum-cancels-morning-events-after-daughter-is-admitted-to-chop/ Santorum Cancels Morning Events After Daughter Is Admitted To CHOP « CBS Philly

[...] READ: Dr. Brian McDonough Explains Trisomy-18 [...]
http://topbukkart.com.br/?p=90 TOP BH January 29, 2012 | TOP BH

[...] be with hospitalized daughter, BellaWashington PostSantorum child ill; cancels Fla. scheduleUPI.comDr. Brian McDonough: Bella Santorum's Condition Makes Even A Common Cold DeadlyCBS LocalPhilly2Philly.comall 235 news [...]
http://latestnewsabout.com/trisomy-18/trisomy-18-condition-forces-rick-santorums-daughter-into-hospital-and-philly2philly-com/2012 Trisomy 18 Condition Forces Rick Santorum’s Daughter Into Hospital and… – Philly2Philly.com | Latest News About

[...] daughter to hospitalCNN (blog)Santorum's Daughter HospitalizedCalorieLab Calorie Counter NewsCBS Local -Philadelphia Inquirer -Wall Street Journal (blog)all 224 news [...]
Ruth Pennington Haydon

We are praying for the Santorum famile.