overview
If your child has a congenital heart defect, it means that your child was born with a problem with the structure of their heart.
Some congenital heart defects in children are straightforward and do not require treatment. Other congenital heart defects in children are more complex and may require multiple surgeries over a period of years. Vascular rings Treatment in Hyderabad
symptoms
Serious congenital heart defects usually occur soon after birth or in the first few months of life.
Signs and symptoms can include:
- Light gray or blue skin color (cyanosis)
- Rapid breathing
- Swelling of the legs, abdomen or around the eyes
- Shortness of breath while feeding, resulting in poor weight gain
The reasons
- Chambers and heart valves
- Ventricles and Heart Valves Open the popup dialog
- How the heart works
- The heart is divided into four hollow chambers, two on the right and two on the left. To pump blood around the body, the heart uses its left and right sides to do different things.
The right side of the heart carries blood to the lungs through vessels called pulmonary arteries. In the lungs, the blood picks up oxygen and then returns to the left side of the heart through the pulmonary veins. The left side of the heart then pumps blood through the aorta and to the rest of the body. Vascular rings Treatment in Hyderabad
Risk factors
Most congenital heart defects result from problems in your child’s early heart development, the cause of which is unknown.
However, certain environmental and genetic risk factors can play a role. They include:
Rubella (German measles). Rubella during pregnancy can cause problems with your baby’s heart development. Your doctor can test you for immunity to this viral disease before pregnancy and vaccinate you against it if you are not immune.
Diabetes. You can reduce the risk of congenital heart defects by carefully controlling your diabetes before conception and during pregnancy. Gestational diabetes usually doesn’t increase your baby’s risk of developing a heart defect.
Medication. Some medicines taken during pregnancy can cause birth defects, including birth defects of the heart. Give your doctor a full list of the medications you are taking before trying to get pregnant.
Complications
Some possible complications that can occur with a congenital heart defect include:
- Heart failure. This serious complication can occur in babies with a significant heart defect. Signs of heart failure include rapid breathing, often accompanied by wheezing, and insufficient weight gain.
- Slower growth and development. Children with more severe congenital heart defects often develop and grow more slowly than children without heart defects. They may be smaller than other children of their own age, and if the nervous system is affected, they may learn to walk and speak later than other children.
- Arrhythmia. Problems with the heart rhythm (arrhythmias) can be caused by a congenital heart defect or by scars that form after surgery to correct a congenital heart defect.
preventions
Because the exact cause of most congenital heart defects is unknown, it may not be possible to prevent these conditions from occurring.
However, there are things you can do to reduce your child’s overall risk of birth defects and possibly heart defects, such as:
- Get the rubella vaccine. Rubella infection during pregnancy can affect your baby’s heart development. Make sure you get the vaccine before trying to receive.
- Control chronic diseases. If you have diabetes, controlling your blood sugar can reduce the risk of heart defects. If you have other chronic conditions such as epilepsy that require medication, discuss the risks and benefits of these medications with your doctor.
- Avoid harmful substances. While you are pregnant, let someone else do the painting and cleaning with strong smelling products. Also, do not take any medication, herbs, or supplements without first consulting your doctor. Do not smoke or drink alcohol during pregnancy. Vascular rings Treatment in Hyderabad