How to identify heart defects in a child. Heart disease in childhood - why is it dangerous? Treatment of congenital heart defects

Pediatric congenital heart defects

Heart disease is a change in the functioning of the muscular and valvular apparatus of the heart and its partitions.

In medicine they stand out congenital and acquired heart defects.

Acquired defects change the functioning of the heart valve. Most often they appear in patients with rheumatism, syphilis and atherosclerosis.

The clinical picture of all defects often consists of general characteristics. But there are also peculiar manifestations of the disease that are specific to a certain symptom.

In our article we will focus on childhood congenital heart muscle defects.

The occurrence of the disease.

Childhood congenital heart disease occurs in a child due to improper development of blood circulation while the child is still in the womb. The baby's heart begins to form from the 3rd to the 8th week of pregnancy. Its normal development can be affected by negative influences.

Of these, the first place is occupied by infectious diseases that a woman could suffer during the first half of pregnancy - rubella, influenza, herpes, tonsillitis and others. Chronic illnesses of parents, drug abuse during pregnancy, smoking and alcoholism of future parents also have a negative impact.

Diagnosis of congenital heart defects.

The definition of a child's congenital defect as a disease is based on the external manifestation of certain signs, on data from clinical studies and other methods. Based on all these signs, the doctor can determine the presence of the disease and identify not only the type of defect, but also the group to which it belongs.

The study of the heart includes an electrocardiogram, x-rays of the heart and lungs, and an echocardiogram.

Symptoms of the disease.

Children with heart defects often lag behind their peers in physical development and are more likely to suffer from viral diseases. The most common complaints in these cases are complaints of shortness of breath during physical activity, rapid fatigue, even when the child is not doing anything. In such children, the skin becomes paler than usual.

Types of childhood congenital heart defects.

Congenital heart disease in children is very diverse in nature of the disorders. The most common defects occur when there is an obstruction in the septum between the ventricle and the atrium, due to which some of the blood from the left half of the heart immediately enters the right half, but should go directly into the pulmonary trunk.

With all congenital defects, less arterial blood enters the systemic circulation than is needed. Therefore, an overload occurs in the pulmonary circulation. The greater this overload, the more difficult the disease progresses.

Treatment of heart disease.

Treatment of each type of congenital defect is strictly individual. Those defects that do not directly cause any disruption to the functioning of the child’s body do not require medical intervention at all. People with such diseases most often do not complain about their health.

But when problems do arise, the child requires surgical intervention. It should normalize the functioning of the heart. Heart valve replacement is possible. In more severe cases, surgery may not be possible at all. Then the patient is prescribed a certain regimen that allows him to simply delay the time of final wear and tear of the heart muscle.

Heart disease in children: how to treat?

Pathology of the heart, in which there are defects in the valve apparatus, as well as its walls, is called heart disease. In the future, this pathology causes the development of cardiovascular failure. Vice children's hearts may be congenital or acquired. Congenital heart disease is a pathology when the cause of cardiac defects and the vessels adjacent to it are disturbances in the processes of embryogenesis.

The following types of congenital heart defects are distinguished: a defect with overload of the pulmonary circulation, atrial septal defect and interventricular septal defect; open ductus arteriosus, a defect with the union of the pulmonary circulation; isolated pulmonary artery stenosis; tetralogy of Fallot; transposition of the great vessels; defect with normal pulmonary blood flow; aortic stenosis; coarctation of the aorta. Congenital defects in children arise in the womb. The presence of the disease can be detected in the early stages using cardiac ultrasound, Doppler or electrocardiography.

The main causes of heart disease are as follows:

• hereditary disease, that is, parents or close relatives suffered from heart defects;
• smoking and alcohol during pregnancy;
• living of a pregnant woman in an unfavorable zone, an environmental disaster zone;
• cases of miscarriages or stillbirths;
• transmission during pregnancy of infectious diseases such as rubella.

With acquired heart defects, defects occur in the area of ​​the valve apparatus, expressed by stenosis or valvular insufficiency of the heart. In this case, surgical intervention is necessary.

Acquired heart defects in children, as a rule, arise as a consequence of previous diseases, such as rheumatism, mitral valve prolapse, and infective endocarditis.

The following help determine the presence of the disease: signs of heart disease in children. Firstly, these are heart murmurs. The doctor can determine them by listening to the child’s heart. The presence of organic noise indicates the threat of defect. After the discharge of children whose risk of illness remains in question, doctors give some advice, how to determine heart defect. Parents should be concerned if the child's monthly weight gain is less than 400 grams, the child has shortness of breath and increased fatigue. This manifests itself mainly during feeding: the baby eats little and gets tired of sucking very quickly. Also, heart disease in children is accompanied by the presence of tachycardia - rapid heartbeat, cyanosis - cyanosis of the skin.

There is no clear answer to the question: “How to treat heart disease.” The choice of treatment method depends on many factors, such as the type of defect, the nature of the current disease, the condition and age of the patient. One should also take into account the fact that heart disease in children can be age-related, and upon reaching 15-16 years old it goes away on its own. This applies to birth defects. Often, the disease that caused the defect or contributed to its progression is initially treated. In these cases, drug and preventive treatment is used. In cases with acquired defects, the matter sometimes ends with surgical intervention. The surgical treatment method is commissurotomy. It is used for patients suffering from isolated mitral stenosis.

For mitral insufficiency, surgical intervention is used, but as the disease becomes more complicated and the patient’s well-being worsens. During the operation, the valve is replaced with its artificial counterpart. Also, therapeutic therapy for heart defects includes diets, general hygiene measures and physical therapy exercises. Nutritionists recommend eating more protein foods, limiting water and salt intake, and not eating before bed. In addition, physical activity is necessary to train the heart muscle. Doctors follow a set of exercises for heart defects. Firstly, walking, it increases blood circulation, breathing, and tones the muscles, preparing them for further exercise.

It is recommended to start and finish a set of exercises by walking. Secondly, these are exercises for the shoulder girdle and arms. They help straighten the spine and chest and are also good for breathing. Thirdly, breathing exercises are an integral part of the classes. In general, a set of training should begin with morning exercises; during the day you can jog or just take a walk.

Training will be effective if carried out 2-3 times a week for 40-50 minutes. Walking or running programs are developed for each patient individually, depending on his state of health. After completing the program under the supervision of a cardiologist, you can move on to independent studies.

Congenital heart defects

Congenital heart defects (CHD) are anatomical defects of the heart, its valve apparatus or its vessels that occurred in utero (at 2-8 weeks of pregnancy). These defects can occur alone or in combination with each other.

Etiology. Viral infections (rubella, measles, mumps, chicken pox, polio, etc.), maternal heart defects, alcoholism, drug addiction, the use of certain medications, ionizing radiation, hypovitaminosis, pregnancy over 35 years of age, often have a negative impact on the process of heart formation. diseases of the genital area. One of the important factors is also the health of the father.

The prevalence of congenital heart disease is 30% of all congenital malformations. They rank first in mortality of newborns and children of the first year of life. Congenital heart disease can appear immediately after the birth of a child or occur hidden.

Clinic. The most accepted division of congenital heart disease into “blue” (with cyanosis) and “white” (without cyanosis). In addition, all congenital heart diseases are divided depending on the state of hemodynamics in the pulmonary and systemic circulation.

Classification of congenital heart disease according to hemodynamic status

Congenital heart disease in newborns is the formation of various anatomical defects in the elements of the heart. Typically, such pathologies begin to develop in the prenatal period. In newborns, clinicians identify about 20 types of different defects.

For convenience, they were all divided into three groups:

• congenital heart defects in children of the “white type”. This group includes defects, as a result of the formation of which there is a reflux of blood from the arterial circulation into the venous one. These include aortic defects, patent ductus arteriosus, ventricular and atrial septal defects;
• “Blue type” congenital heart disease. A characteristic symptom of pathologies of this group is persistent cyanosis. It progresses due to the reflux of venous blood into the arterial bloodstream. Such congenital defects include tetralogy of Fallot, transposition of the great blood vessels, atresia of the aorta, pulmonary artery and venous ostium (right);
• CHD, in which there is the formation of an obstruction to normal blood flow, but this is not associated with an arteriovenous shunt. These include stenosis, coarctation, ectopia of the heart, hypertrophy of cardiac elements, etc.

Etiology

Heart defects in newborns can develop due to:

• various mutations at the gene level;
• unfavorable environmental situation in the area where the pregnant woman lives;
• the woman has a history of abortions, miscarriages, and stillborn children;
• the use of certain groups of pharmaceuticals during pregnancy. Antibiotics, antiviral and other drugs with strong effects pose a particular danger to the fetus;
• hereditary predisposition. The risk that a baby will develop a heart defect increases many times if the pregnant woman has close relatives with the same pathology;
• illnesses of an infectious nature that a woman suffered while carrying a child. Particularly dangerous include cytomegaly. The risk especially increases if these pathologies affect a woman in the early stages of pregnancy. The fact is that it is during this period that all organs are formed;
• age of the pregnant woman. Scientists have noticed a trend that the older a woman is, the higher the likelihood that she will have a child with a heart defect. Currently, the risk group includes representatives of the fair sex who have crossed the 35-year mark;
• strong x-ray training;
• consumption of large doses of alcoholic beverages by a woman while carrying a child. Recently, this reason has come to the fore in the development of heart defects. Alcohol has a detrimental effect not only on the mother’s body, but also on the body of her unborn baby.

Symptoms

Symptoms indicating a heart defect in newborns directly depend on the type of defect, as well as on the severity of the pathological process. Small-sized defects practically do not manifest themselves at all, which greatly complicates their timely diagnosis. But it is worth noting that even severe forms of anomalies can be completely asymptomatic, which often causes the death of a newborn in the first days of his life. It is possible to save the life of a baby with severe defects that prevent the heart from functioning normally only through surgical intervention. Conservative therapy is out of the question.

The main signs that may indicate the presence of abnormalities in the baby’s cardiovascular system:

• increased respiratory movements per minute;
• the formation of edema (especially in the legs);
• weakness;
• lethargy;
• the child sucks weakly at the breast and may even refuse it completely;
• expressed;
• frequent regurgitation;
• cyanosis. It is especially pronounced on the limbs and in the area of ​​the nasolabial triangle;
• heart murmurs. They can only be identified by a qualified doctor during auscultation.

Degrees

The degree of the disease is determined depending on the severity of the symptoms. In total, clinicians distinguish 4 of them:

Grade 1 – the baby’s condition is relatively stable. Cardiac activity is within normal limits. Typically, no specific treatment is required at this stage;

Stage 2 – symptoms gradually increase. Problems arise with feeding the child, and respiratory function is also impaired;

3rd degree - the clinic is supplemented by neurological manifestations, since the brain is not sufficiently supplied with blood;

4th degree – terminal. If it progresses, the patient experiences depression of respiratory and cardiac activity. It usually ends in death.

Diagnostics

Today, the most informative method that makes it possible to identify the presence of anomalies in the structure of the heart is ECHO cardiography. This method gives the doctor the opportunity to assess the condition of all elements of the heart - chambers, septa, valves, holes. Doctors also often resort to Doppler ultrasound. The method makes it possible to obtain information about the intensity of blood flow and its turbulence.

Additional diagnostic methods:

• radiography;

Therapeutic measures

For heart defects, the only correct method of treatment is surgical intervention. Medication can only dull the severity of symptoms. Now they resort to two types of operations: open and minimally invasive.

Minimally invasive surgeries are more suitable for correcting abnormalities of the septa between the atria and ventricles. The X-ray endovascular method allows the surgeon to install an occluder that will close the formed defect.

Open surgical intervention is performed in case of detection of severe combined defects. During the operation, the sternum is opened. Thus, the doctor has direct access to the patient's heart. These interventions, although traumatic, are very effective.

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Diseases with similar symptoms:

Heart defects are anomalies and deformations of individual functional parts of the heart: valves, septa, openings between vessels and chambers. Due to their improper functioning, blood circulation is disrupted, and the heart ceases to fully perform its main function - supplying oxygen to all organs and tissues.

A disease that is characterized by the formation of pulmonary insufficiency, presented in the form of a massive release of transudate from the capillaries into the pulmonary cavity and ultimately promoting infiltration of the alveoli, is called pulmonary edema. In simple terms, pulmonary edema is a condition where fluid stagnates in the lungs and has leaked through the blood vessels. The disease is characterized as an independent symptom and can develop on the basis of other serious ailments of the body.

Recently, diseases of the cardiovascular system have become increasingly common in pediatrics. Basically - pathologies, conventionally combined into one large group - heart defects. Today they are observed in every two hundred children. Having heard the diagnosis, many parents perceive it as a death sentence for their child. Yes, some of these diseases really pose a serious threat to the patient’s life. But most often, heart disease in children can be treated quite successfully, although sometimes the only method is surgery.

The human heart consists of four chambers: two atria and two ventricles. Their coordinated work ensures normal blood flow and, accordingly, is a prerequisite for the life of the body. Defects that arise in the system, affecting the heart valves, septa or blood vessels, lead to disruption of blood flow to various organs, depriving them of a full supply of oxygen. The condition is called heart failure.

• congenital - appear during the development of the embryo, children are born into the world already having a pathology;
• acquired - occur after birth, usually at the age of 10 years and older.

Classification and causes of birth defects

Children are quite often born with this pathology (1% of all newborns). Now there are about 90 congenital pathologies that can be combined with each other in various combinations. There are many classifications, and the most common of them, based on the presence or absence of mixing of arterial and venous blood, we present below:

• White. The most famous are patent ductus arteriosus, septal defects, isolated stenoses, dispositions and dystopias of the heart. Cyanosis is not observed.
• Blue. Tetralogy of Fallot, transposition of the great arteries, Eisenmenger complex, Ebstein's anomaly and others are more common.

Blue defects got their name because of the pronounced cyanosis with which they are accompanied. The group of pathologies is united by the reflux of venous blood into the system that nourishes all the child’s organs (called the systemic circulation). The resulting “mixture” contains insufficient oxygen. Therefore, the tissues into which it enters acquire a bluish tint.

It is not yet known exactly why babies are born with such defects. But most doctors agree that congenital heart defects in children have the following causes:

• Genetic factors. These include the presence of similar diseases in close relatives of the mother or her previous children. But sometimes signs of a genetic predisposition cannot be detected in advance.
• Unsuccessful pregnancy. If a mother has previously had a miscarriage or a stillborn child, this significantly increases the risk of having a baby with cardiovascular pathologies in the future.
• Bad habits. A pregnant woman's use of alcohol or drugs or certain medications directly affects the health of the unborn child.
• Poor environmental situation. Here it is necessary to take into account not only living in a “clean” zone, but also the mother’s profession. Moreover, work in hazardous production can manifest itself even after a few years.
• Diseases during pregnancy. The most dangerous in this regard are diabetes mellitus, epilepsy, severe hypertension, and various infections (for example, rubella in the mother will most likely lead to the development of a defect in the embryo).

Full information about all types of defects in the article - Congenital pathologies - is there a way out?

Acquired pathologies

Acquired defects in children affect the functioning of the valves, thereby disrupting blood flow in the body. These defects are of two types:

• prolapse - sagging of the leaflets of one of the valves when it closes, leading to the leakage of a certain portion of blood in the opposite direction (regurgitation);
• stenosis is incomplete opening of the leaflets, reducing valve capacity.

The causes of the development of acquired types of disease are mostly rheumatoid in nature, but sometimes their appearance can be triggered by other diseases:

• atherosclerosis (children are also occasionally susceptible to this pathology);
• syphilis;
• diffuse connective tissue diseases.

Most often, children have defects of the mitral valve (about 70% of all patients), and almost all the rest affect the aortic valve. Moreover, in half of the cases, disorders are present in parallel in another valve - the tricuspid, although as an independent pathology the defect is very rare.

Also, the defect can cause another disease - the formation of an additional chord in the heart. This is an equally dangerous pathology and requires immediate intervention.

The main symptoms of congenital and acquired defects are similar, although each specific case may have individual characteristics:

• fast fatiguability;
• shortness of breath even with slight physical exertion;
• slow weight gain in young children;
• difficulties while feeding infants;
• cyanosis with blue defects;
• obvious pathological noises when listening (causes of heart murmurs in a child);
• atrial fibrillation.

Often, although not necessarily, signs such as heart pain and headaches, pronounced arteries in the neck, and frequent swelling of certain parts of the body are present. In older children, the symptoms appear more clearly - chest pain radiates to the left arm and shoulder girdle.

Naturally, it will be difficult for a person without the proper qualifications to identify a defect based on the manifestations described above, since the same fatigue and shortness of breath may indicate some other diseases. Therefore, with such symptoms, it is best to take your child to the doctor.

Treatment

Treatment of defects in each case is developed individually based on various factors, such as the type of pathology, the characteristics of its course, the child’s well-being, his age, and so on. In some cases, by adulthood the defect disappears on its own. But most often you cannot do without medical help. There may be three options, which most often complement each other:

• drug treatment;
• surgery;
• preventive actions.

Medicines

Of course, the defect itself cannot be cured with medications. They are mainly used to relieve symptoms of heart failure. The following medications may also be prescribed:

• non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs - in case of a pronounced reaction to infection by the “forces” of the innate immune system;
• angioprotectors – if vascular damage is observed;
• penicillin-based antibiotics – when the defect is caused by pathogenic bacteria;
• Cardiotrophic therapy – for treatment of acute failure.

Operation

The only way to completely eliminate defects in the cardiovascular system is surgery. Sometimes this is the only way to save a child. Surgery is recommended if the following symptoms are present:

• after minor physical exertion, the patient immediately experiences shortness of breath, and other signs of insufficiency are observed;
• diagnostics shows a pathological enlargement of any of the heart chambers and its work “for wear and tear”;
• pressure increases in one of the ventricles.

Preventive measures

Effective treatment of the defect is impossible without the child following the correct regimen:

• The patient's diet should be balanced, with a high content of calcium, magnesium, potassium and manganese (most of them are in oatmeal, pearl barley, buckwheat, apples and prunes). At the same time, it is undesirable to focus on salted and pickled foods and canned food. It is better to eat in smaller portions, but more often.
• The child should go to bed on time, since proper rest significantly reduces the load on the heart.
• The patient must be protected from situations that may lead to overexcitation or upset. It is also not recommended to put any physical strain on it.
• Regular walks are a must, of course, if the weather outside is comfortable.

The defect in children is curable in the vast majority of cases. Moreover, the main point here is timely seeking medical help, since such diseases cannot be “defeated” by any folk methods. Only a qualified specialist will be able to determine why this pathology arose and which treatment method is best for the child.

The appearance of a baby in a family is always happiness. But the joy of parents fades away sharply when they hear a diagnosis such as heart disease. Unfortunately, recently heart defects in children are quite common. This disease is associated with impaired development of the heart and large vessels in children, which leads to changes in blood flow, overload and insufficiency of the myocardium. Heart disease in children is congenital. According to statistics, from 5 to 8 children out of a thousand have this cardiovascular disease. All types of congenital pathologies are diverse in their anatomical features and severity. Many of them are found in various combinations. With forms incompatible with life, children do not live to see a year. After the first year of life, mortality decreases, and in the period from 1 to 15 years, about 5% of sick children die from heart defects. As you can see, this disease is very serious, requiring a special approach and comprehensive treatment.

Symptoms of heart disease

Some types of birth defects are diagnosed and successfully treated in the early stages, while others remain asymptomatic for several months or even years. After three years, the following deviations can be noticed in sick children:

• poor appetite
• liver enlargement
• rapid breathing
• frequent colds
• heart rhythm disorder
• difficulty performing physical activity

Older children may also complain of pain in the chest area or under the shoulder blade, dizziness and headaches. Symptoms of heart disease in newborns may vary depending on the specific abnormality, but common to all are heart failure and insufficient supply of nutrients and oxygen to tissues and organs.

According to the characteristics of blood discharge, congenital heart defects are blue and white. As a rule, a decrease in oxygen concentration in arterial blood occurs with the birth of a baby. Due to metabolic disorders, toxic metabolic products accumulate in the blood. This phenomenon is based on the mixing of arterial and venous blood inside the heart. These are blue defects, in which the child experiences cyanosis of the skin, ears, lips, and rapid breathing.

White defects are characterized by the discharge of venous blood from left to right. With white defects, babies experience pale skin and cold extremities. Having a defect in the form of a heart defect, the child quickly gets tired during feeding and sucks poorly at the breast. The pediatrician may hear a heart murmur and look for slow weight gain. However, heart murmurs may not always indicate the presence of a disease. Therefore, if a heart defect is suspected in newborns, consultation with a cardiologist is necessary.

To date, it is not possible to determine the cause of congenital heart defects in children. This vital organ is laid down and formed from the 2nd to the 8th week of pregnancy, that is, during a period when a woman often does not yet know about motherhood. Therefore, it is very important at this time to avoid the influence of harmful factors that can lead to the development of defects. The most important among them are the following:

• bad habits of the mother (smoking, drug use)
• the effect of certain medications (antibiotics, hormonal pills)
• heredity
• gene and chromosomal mutations
• chronic diseases of women (diabetes mellitus, endocrine diseases)
• infectious diseases that a woman suffered during pregnancy (rubella, herpes, influenza)
• excessive exposure, radiation
• harmful working conditions
• woman's age (over 35 years old)

Remember, the earlier heart defects are detected in newborns, the greater the hope for its timely and successful treatment.

Treatment of heart disease

Congenital heart defects in children are treatable in 90% of cases. Today, thanks to modern medicine, this disease can be successfully cured. Like any other disease, heart disease is easier to treat if it is detected at an early stage. Therefore, as soon as you notice unusual changes in the baby’s behavior and condition, contact a specialist. Additional examination will be prescribed if the doctor confirms that the symptoms may be signs of heart disease. Heart defects can be diagnosed from birth in the first 3 months of a child’s life using the following methods:

1) electrocardiography - this ultrasound method helps determine how the heart works, its structure, and also checks the function of the valves,

2) cardiac catheterization - this method allows you to determine any defects, their size, location and severity,

3) echocardiography is a very accurate diagnostic method that allows you to assess the structural features and contractility of the myocardium.

Congenital heart disease in children can be diagnosed in utero. As a rule, this can be done starting from the 14th week of pregnancy, when the woman undergoes an ultrasound. At the slightest suspicion of a heart defect in the fetus, as well as if the woman is at risk, she is sent to a specialized institution. If congenital heart disease is detected in the fetus, the birth will take place under the supervision of specialists in a specialized hospital, where the child will subsequently be operated on.

Children with mild heart defects need to be monitored by a cardiologist and undergo regular examinations. Over time, their heart may heal on its own. If a newborn has a heart defect, it is necessary to spend time with him in the fresh air more often, and protect him from infections and stress. Treatment of heart disease depends on the degree of its complexity. Severe defects require surgical intervention in the first days of the baby’s life. Sometimes operations are carried out in several stages: initially, the child’s condition is alleviated, and then they are prepared for surgery to completely eliminate the defects.

Surgery for heart defects can be open or closed. During closed surgery, the heart is not affected, and the operation is performed on the large blood vessels around it. In open operations, the heart cavity is opened. During the operation, the heart and lungs are turned off from the blood circulation. And the blood is enriched with oxygen and pumped throughout the body using a heart-lung machine. After surgery, children need a high-calorie diet and intensive care.

If your child is diagnosed with a heart defect, do not panic - modern medical technologies make it possible to treat all types of defects and give positive results.

The words of doctors that a newborn baby has been diagnosed with heart disease always sound scary to parents. But medicine does not stand still, and today congenital heart defects in children do not mean a death sentence. Most pathologies can be corrected surgically - this is the first thing that all parents, without exception, should know and remember. Today we will talk about how heart defects are diagnosed, what determines their occurrence, and what treatment methods doctors offer.

First, some statistics. Congenital heart defects are detected in no more than 10 children per 1000, and severe defects - in 1-2 children per 1000. Unfortunately, they occupy the first place among the causes of mortality under the age of one year. But a more depressing fact is that in almost a quarter of children, congenital defects are not detected upon discharge from the hospital. This is due to the difficulty of diagnosis. Therefore, all parents should be aware of the main symptoms of heart defects in children, which require immediate examination by a cardiologist. The sooner the problem is known, the greater the chances of successful treatment - this is an axiom for heart disease.

Heart disease in children: symptoms and causes

The first rule for parents, which applies not only to heart disease in infants, but also to other pathologies: the fact that upon discharge from the maternity hospital no diseases were detected in the newborn does not mean that they really do not exist.

This is not at all about the fact that doctors can be negligent in examining a child. Unfortunately, not all developmental defects can be diagnosed in a maternity hospital, not to mention the fact that not all maternity hospitals are equipped with the necessary equipment.

What should the child's parents pay attention to? The main symptoms of heart defects in children are:

• Blueness (cyanosis) of the skin – the area of ​​the nasolabial triangle, face, fingers and toes;
• Swelling of the extremities;
• A swollen area near the baby's heart;
• Frequent paleness of the baby's skin, bluish skin when crying and screaming;
• Cold sweat in a child, especially on the forehead;
• Problems with breastfeeding: sluggish sucking or restlessness during feeding, frequent release of the breast, constant regurgitation;
• Low weight gain;
• Attacks of shortness of breath, rapid or rare heartbeat, often in combination with pallor or blue discoloration of the skin and mucous membranes;
• Unreasonable screams and restlessness of the baby.

At an older age, problems can be suspected based on the following symptoms of heart defects in children: complaints of fatigue, pain in the heart area, causeless changes in heart rhythm - tachycardia (rapid heartbeat) or bradycardia (rare heartbeat).

Why do heart defects occur? Their formation occurs quite early - in the first trimester of pregnancy. The risk group includes children with chromosomal abnormalities, including Down syndrome. In addition to congenital anomalies, problems may arise in women who suffered severe viral diseases in the first trimester, worked in hazardous industries, or live in regions with poor ecology. If a woman has already had miscarriages or stillborn babies, the risk also increases. In addition, the likelihood increases slightly if the mother is over 35 years old, or if there are already cases of children with heart defects in the family.

What are the most common heart defects?

The patent ductus arteriosus is a vessel that connects the aorta and pulmonary artery. It should normally close within the first two weeks of the baby's life. It is often impossible for parents to independently determine the existing problem - even a one-year-old baby may not have external manifestations (symptoms). The pediatrician may suspect something is wrong based on heart murmurs when listening to the child.

In the first days of a newborn’s life, there is a slight difference between the pressure in the blood vessels, so doctors in the maternity hospital simply may not hear the noise. However, subsequently the pressure in the pulmonary artery decreases, and the noise becomes audible.

Atrial septal defect is another common heart defect in children. This is an oval window between the chambers of the heart, which exists in all children during fetal development. Normally, it closes during the first seven days of a child’s life; in other children, it closes up to 5-6 years. But sometimes closure doesn't happen. If the window size exceeds 5-6 mm, this refers to heart defects.

A ventricular septal defect is a disruption in communication between the chambers of the heart. Defects may vary in size and location. This defect is characterized by a loud murmur in the child’s heart. If the size of the defect is large, then treatment is carried out in the first two years of life; if it is small, then the doctor may postpone it until 4-6 years of age. Sometimes a minor defect closes without medical intervention.

Heart defects in children: treatment

So, it is clear that if there is any suspicion of a malfunction of the child’s heart, the child should be thoroughly examined by a cardiologist. But what treatment is possible for children with heart defects?

In most cases this is surgery. These words sound quite scary, but the statistics here say otherwise. Heart surgeries in children are very successful and help prevent irreversible changes. Today, surgical intervention is performed even in children in the first days of life. 4.9 out of 5 (27 votes)