Learning that a woman is expecting a baby, the parents begin to build a variety of plans for his future. Every mother hopes her baby will be the most beautiful, happy, and most importantly, healthy. Unfortunately, sometimes life is different, and not always the most optimistic. One such complication is heart disease in children. A heart disease treatment requires the essentials.
Fortunately, congenital heart defects in children are not so common. However, congenital heart defects still occur, and the first time may not manifest itself outwardly - the child shows no signs of anxiety. That is why parents and doctors - pediatricians sometimes fail to detect the problem in a timely manner. But the sooner the problem will be identified and initiated an adequate effect, the higher the chances of full recovery.
The purpose of this article - to acquaint parents with signs and symptoms of heart defects in children. Knowing that it is a cause for concern, parents will be able to smell a rat in a timely manner and to seek medical help to the attending physician. Often it is the parent of the first pay attention to the baby's health problems, as they have the opportunity to watch him around the clock. Doctors also are deprived of such opportunities because they see crumbs just a few minutes once a month, on prophylactic.
What is heart disease? This group of diseases can be characterized as follows. Heart disease - a pathological changes in the structure of the heart, heart valves and blood vessels. Most often found in children congenital heart disease - with all of these congenital abnormalities in the structure of the heart occur during the formation of the fetus. The incidence of congenital heart disease - approximately 5 cases per thousand pregnancies. It is congenital heart disease, alas, are the most common cause of infant mortality during the first year of life.
Many parents learn that their pipsqueak suffering from congenital heart disease, are surprised and indignant over the fact that heart disease has not been found during ultrasound examination during pregnancy. Unfortunately, such incidents do occur to be. This is due to the fact that even if doctors conscientiously and carefully watched the woman during her pregnancy, heart disease they can not be identified. This happens for various reasons - insufficient level of qualification of the doctor performing the ultrasound, the old equipment in district clinics, and most importantly, especially the circulatory system of the fetus, which does not allow to identify certain types of congenital heart defects.
Young parents must be borne in mind that information. Even if pregnancy and childbirth proceeded absolutely smoothly and your baby looks perfectly healthy, be sure to insist on a heart ultrasound crumbs. But, alas, in the program of mandatory testing of newborns and infants do not include any other methods of diagnosis, in addition to carrying out an electrocardiogram. But it do not in every clinic. Therefore, parents have two choices - to rely on "maybe" and make the US pay their hearts crumbs to reliably ensure that the heart had everything in order. Congenital heart disease in infants with ultrasound diagnosed reliably and easily.
What should pay attention to parents and physicians?
Doctors - cardiologists identify several key symptoms that need to get wary of the district doctor - a pediatrician, watching crumbs and his parents. Carefully read and remember them. Heart disease symptoms are as follows:
- Noises in the heart of the baby
If a doctor listening to the kid discovers in his heart sounds, he shall send a crumb on the ultrasound of the heart. Parents do not need to panic, as a heart murmur is not always indicate the presence of the crumbs of heart disease. All heart murmurs are divided into two types - functional and organic. The presence of functional heart murmur does not indicate what - any violation in the structure of the child's heart and is a form of rule. The most common occurrence of such noise is caused by the growth of the baby heart and heart vessels. And, in addition, often the cause of functional heart murmur is the presence in the heart of an additional chord (or, as it is called, trabeculae). Extra chord - is the extension cord that runs from one wall to the other ventricle. Congenital heart defects in children have very different symptoms.
Around it creates an extra flow of blood, which causes a heart murmur at the crumbs. Fortunately, more chord causes no discomfort to the baby and, accordingly, is not a threat to his health. Moreover, the presence of additional chord is not pathology, and even more so, malformation of the heart - it is not a disease at all.
- A small weight gain in an infant
If a pipsqueak very poorly gaining weight, it should alert parents and doctor - a pediatrician. As a rule, if the crumb is gaining less than 400 grams in a month, it should be cause for immediate consultation children's doctor - a cardiologist. So many varieties of children's congenital heart diseases manifest themselves is delayed physical development of the baby. In no case can not be ignored a similar problem. After all, in any case, even if poor weight gain is not due to heart disease, it indicates the presence of crumbs of serious health problems.
- The presence of the baby of dyspnea and fatigue
Another wake-up call for parents and pediatrician should be the presence of dyspnea crumbs. Dyspnea change doctors call a normal respiratory rate and depth of inhalation. Fatigue crumbs may also indicate that the child, there are certain problems with the cardio - vascular system. Of course, parents notice notice shortness of breath is not always a virtue - it requires a certain amount of experience, which the parents are not enough.
But the presence of crumbs fatigue strength under notice any mom. This is especially pronounced during suckling baby the breast. The kid gets tired very quickly, constantly making breaks, he often acts perspiration, especially over the sponge. If you notice your baby have a similar, be sure to ask for help from your doctor - a pediatrician.
If the baby is too rapid heartbeat, it may also indicate the presence of a child's congenital heart defects. However, in this case the parents rather difficult to independently determine the presence or absence of crumbs tachycardia, which once again confirms the need for regular checkups.
- The presence of cyanosis crumbs
Cyanosis doctors called cyanotic hue of the skin of the baby. As a rule, blueness of the skin of the baby appears in the presence of his complex heart defects. This group appears when the red mixed venous arterial blood, which has a dark color.
Sometimes cyanosis expressed only slightly and can not be seen even an experienced physician, and sometimes it is noticeable even parents. Most often, when the baby turns blue cyanosis nasolabial triangle, the skin under the nails and heels.
Early diagnosis
The earlier revealed disruption of the heart, the higher the chances of successful treatment. It is therefore important to identify the presence of congenital heart defects in crumbs during pregnancy. To do this, use a fetal ultrasound and CTG. By the way, in our time-sensitive equipment to diagnose fetal malformation of the heart at the first ultrasound at 12 - 13 weeks of pregnancy. But not all types of heart defects can be recognized on this term, so it is very important to do, and second and third ultrasound - at 25 and 35 weeks, respectively.
Heart disease in infants has a variety of causes. There is a certain risk group, which includes those women who have:
- Previously pregnancy was ended unsuccessfully - spontaneous abortion, premature birth, stillbirth.
- Who already have kids with congenital malformations of the cardio - vascular system, especially with heart diseases and arrhythmias.
- In the history of pregnancy there are a variety of infectious diseases, especially in the early stages of pregnancy. This fact is explained by the fact that it is in the early stages of pregnancy there is a bookmark, and the formation of all vital organs, including cardio - vascular system.
- In addition, the increased risk are those women in the family who have a close relative diagnosed with various heart diseases. Unfortunately, the genetic predisposition to congenital heart disease is also the place to be.
- The presence of a pregnant woman any - any chronic disease, especially if the woman is forced to take during pregnancy any - or pharmacological agents.
- If a woman awaiting the birth of the child, especially the first-born, more than 35 years.
- Women who live in areas with poor environmental conditions.
In fairness it should be noted that the holding of diagnosis of fetal malformations in pregnant women is not always possible to spend in the local women's clinic, especially if it is a small provincial town. Typically, in such cities no necessary equipment or qualified medical personnel to carry out such a study.
However, remember that your doctor obstetrician - gynecologist should give you, in the presence of appropriate indications, in the direction of the medical institution where such specialists are. Often, this woman needs to go to another city. But, as you know, your baby's health is worth it. Be sure to visit the doctor - because it can save not only health, but also the life of your crumbs.
Once again - all of the above signs and symptoms of disruption of the cardio - vascular system can not be expressed in any way, or very little. And amplifies only as children get older, when precious time to treat the baby will be hopelessly lost. Be sure to take the opportunity to inspect their crumbs and as quickly as possible.
Types of heart defects
There are all different kinds of pathological development of cardio - vascular system. Some heart defects are more than one hundred different species. In this article we will discuss in more detail only on the basic, most common in children. However, the information is given only for the information of parents - the diagnosis and treatment should be engaged in only profile doctor - a cardiologist.
The essence of this defect is the following - a vessel that connects the pulmonary artery and the aorta open. Aortic doctors call a vessel, which departs from the heart and through which flows the arterial blood. The pulmonary artery is - it is a vessel, which departs from the right ventricle and which carries deoxygenated blood toward the heart.
With proper physiological development of this open duct is needed only during fetal development crumbs, and within two weeks after birth, it should be closed. In the same case, if for some - any reason duct is not closed, doctors say the presence of the baby heart disease. Will the symptoms of heart disease, such as tachycardia, dyspnea or cyanosis, this depends only on how pronounced defect. Often, like heart defects occur at all asymptomatic and are diagnosed only by chance, with a planned inspection of the baby.
The most common heart defect with patent ductus arteriosus is most often detected when listening to the child's doctor - a pediatrician. This heart defect causes loud noises, which will hear the doctor. Very often these heart defects disappear on their own, without any - any surgical procedures cardiac surgeons.
- Septal defect mezhpredserdya
This type of heart disease also occurs frequently. In this case, the child is still open oval window, which is normally at the end of the first month of a child's life should also be closed. However, this does not always happen. In the event that the oval hole in the baffle slightly open, it does not affect the normal operation of the heart. If the hole in the wall than 6 millimeters, it is a heart disease.
The diagnosis is questionable
In that case, if the kid pediatrician suspects a heart defect in children, the symptoms and confirm the diagnosis, as quickly as possible, he should refer the child to a pediatric heart surgeon. Heart surgeon will conduct all the necessary studies and on their basis to develop further tactics of treatment.
Parents whose children diagnosed with heart disease, do not despair. Most of the heart defects treated successfully, and the child is able to maintain the same lifestyle as his healthy peers. The panic in this case will serve you a disservice, because you want your kid!
