Ravina Sewani

Infants and toddlers tend to get a heart attack but in very rare cases. Some children are also born with congenital heart defect, which means that a child is born with a heart structural problem. Congenital heart defects can be simple or complex and may or may not need treatment or surgery. There are about more than 25 different types of congenital heart defects and only a professional expert can decide whether a child needs surgery or not. Congenital heart defects are the cause of heart attacks in babies and children. Symptoms of congenital heart defect:<ul><li>Pale grey or blue skin colour</li><li>Rapid breathing</li><li>Swelling in the legs, abdomen or areas around the eyes</li><li>Shortness of breath during feedings, leading to poor weight gain</li><li>Easily becoming short of breath during exercise or activity</li><li>Fainting during exercise or activity</li><li>Swelling in the hands, ankles or feet</li></ul> Diagnosis:Serious congenital heart defects are often diagnosed before or soon after your child’s birth. If you notice that your baby has any of the signs or symptoms above, call your child's doctor. CausesResearchers aren't sure exactly what causes most of these defects, but they think genetics, certain medical conditions, some medications and environmental factors, such as smoking, may play a role. Types of heart defects:<ul><li>Holes in the heart: Holes can form in the walls between heart chambers or between major blood vessels leaving the heart.</li><li>Obstructed blood flow: When blood vessels or heart valves are narrow because of a heart defect, the heart must work harder to pump blood through them.</li><li>Abnormal blood vessels: Several congenital heart defects happen when blood vessels going to and from the heart don't form correctly, or they're not positioned the way they're supposed to be.</li><li>Heart valve abnormalities: If the heart valves can't open and close correctly, blood can't flow smoothly.</li><li>An underdeveloped heart: Sometimes, a major portion of the heart fails to develop properly.</li><li>A combination of defects: Some infants are born with several heart defects.</li></ul> Risk factors:<ul><li>Pregnant mother with Rubella</li><li>Diabetic mother</li><li>Certain medications; it’s better to give a list of medications a mother takes to her doctor before she tries to get pregnant.</li><li>Drinking alcohol during pregnancy</li><li>Smoking</li><li>Heredity: Genetic testing can detect such disorders during fetal development.</li></ul> Complications:<ul><li>Heart failure: This serious complication may develop in babies who have a significant heart defect.</li><li>Slower growth and development: Children with more-serious congenital heart defects often develop and grow more slowly than do children who don't have heart defects.</li><li>Heart rhythm problems</li><li>Cyanosis: If because of your child's heart defect, oxygen-poor blood mixes with oxygen-rich blood in his or her heart, your child may develop a grayish-blue skin colour, a condition called cyanosis.</li><li>Stroke: Although uncommon, some children with congenital heart defects are at increased risk of stroke.</li><li>Emotional issues: Some children with congenital heart defects may feel insecure or develop emotional problems because of their size, activity restrictions or learning difficulties.</li></ul> Prevention:It may not be possible to prevent congenital heart defects as the exact causes are not known. But here are a few things to do to reduce the risks of such defects:<ul><li>Get a rubella vaccine</li><li>Control chronic medical conditions like diabetes</li><li>Avoid drinking and smoking</li><li>Take a multivitamins with folic acid</li></ul> Heart Attacks or Heart Failure in children: Causes:<ul><li>Over-circulation failure: When blood mixes inside the heart due to a congenital heart defect.</li><li>Pump failure: When the heart muscle becomes damaged and no longer contracts normally. This can be due to a viral infection as well apart from the problems with the heart muscles and arteries. Children with muscular dystrophy may eventually also develop problems with their heart muscle.</li><li>Low blood (anaemia) can also result in heart failure.</li></ul> Symptoms:<ul><li>Trouble breathing</li><li>Poor feeding or growth</li><li>Excessive sweating</li><li>Low blood pressure</li></ul> Diagnosis:If your physician suspects that your child may be experiencing heart failure symptoms, a chest X-ray may help determine if the heart is enlarged. You also may be referred to a paediatric heart specialist.&nbsp;Additional tests can include an electrocardiogram (EKG or ECG) to evaluate the heart rhythm or an ultrasound of the heart (echocardiogram) to evaluate heart structure and function. Treatment:<ul><li>If heart failure is caused by over-circulation due to a congenital heart defect, surgery is often necessary to repair the defect. Often, your physician may initially treat your child with medications, which sometimes requires hospitalisation. Other dietary changes such as low-salt and low-fat diets may be discussed. Following appropriate treatment, your child’s condition and symptoms may improve. This is called compensated heart failure. Then your child can get a surgery done as and when the doctor guides.</li><li>If the heart failure is caused by pump failure, your child may require a pacemaker. A pacemaker reminds the heart to maintain a normal heart rate. The small, battery-operated devices are like tiny computers and are implanted under your child’s skin with a small wire connected to the heart. This requires a surgical procedure. In other cases of pump failure, different kind of surgeries might be needed.</li></ul>

Here are Heart Defects Symptoms, Causes, Diagnosis, Types, Risk factors, Complications, Prevention, and Treatment.

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Heart Defects and Heart Failure in Children

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