CVP symptoms in children. We warn of danger: symptoms and signs of congenital and acquired heart defects, effective diagnostic methods. The determining factor in treatment tactics will be

Any childhood disease causes concern among parents, and when it comes to heart disease, such a diagnosis sounds like a death sentence. How dangerous is a heart defect in a child, what are the symptoms of the disease of the main organ of the human body, is there a chance of recovery - read all about this and much more in the materials of this article.

What is heart disease

Diseases cardiovascular system in children they occupy almost the first place among all childhood diseases associated with developmental disorders. One of them is heart disease.

Medicine knows many different disorders of the heart, but the diagnosis of “heart disease” combines a group of physiological disorders.

Any damage to the functioning of the heart valves of an organic nature is classified as heart defects. With this pathology, blood cannot be transported normally through the vessels or inside the heart itself. Depending on the degree of violation, the time during which the organ itself will finally fail and cease to function varies.

In addition, the cause of the development of pathology can be:

violation of the structure of the walls of the heart;
violation of the structure of the heart septum;
disruption of the structure of large vessels.

Thanks to characteristic symptoms For this group of diseases, it is possible not only to differentiate the type of heart defect, but also to determine the stage of its development. It is worth noting that congenital pathologies are characterized by more pronounced symptoms, which are impossible not to notice immediately at the birth of a child, while acquired diseases, on the contrary, have more sparse symptoms.

Types of heart defects

Species heart pathologies differ in their diversity, but they are all divisible by two type blue and white.

Blue type characterized by pronounced cyanosis of tissues (cyanosis), for white characterized by pallor skin due to venous blood entering the systemic circulation. The blue defect is considered the most dangerous, since it causes the body to lack oxygen.

Heart defects are divided into congenital and acquired.

Congenital defects hearts are formed in the fetus long before its birth, during its intrauterine development. Developmental disorders may be caused by:

genetic predisposition;
gene mutations;
hormonal disorders in the parents of the fetus;
taking illegal drugs;
maternal illnesses during pregnancy;
bad environment.

Acquired vices hearts are formed in children and adults of any age. The reason for such violations may be various diseases, such as hypertension, rheumatism, cardiosclerosis and many others.

"Blue" defects and their symptoms

The following diseases are classified as “blue” heart defects.

“White” defects and their symptoms

This group of heart defects includes pathologies in which venous blood does not enter the systemic circulation, or blood, due to defects in the organ, flows from the left side of the heart to the right.

The following violations are classified as “white” defects.

Ventricular septal defect. With this pathology, the child has a completely or partially absent septum between the right and left ventricles. Oxygen-enriched arterial blood passes from the left ventricle to the right, where it mixes with venous blood.
As a result, the blood vessels of the lungs become overstretched, and the lung itself swells due to excess blood flow to it. The heart, which is forced to work with excessive load, hypertrophies (increases in size), and heart failure develops.
Symptoms of pathology depend on the size of the defect. With minor violations, this type of defect may not manifest itself for a long time, and in some cases, as the child grows and the muscles in the septum of the heart grow, it may even close on its own. In this case, it can only be recognized by ultrasound examination or auscultation of the heart (using a phonendoscope). In the first case, changes in blood flow will be visible on ultrasound, in the second, noises will be heard.
Atrial septal defect. This type of pathology is characterized by the presence of a defect between the right and left atria, through which a certain volume of blood is pumped from the left atrium to the right. As a rule, this defect occurs when there is a violation of the process of closing the oval window during the intramorning period of fetal development.
Symptoms of pathology depend on the size of the existing defect. With small sizes (as with an open oval window), no pronounced symptoms are observed. The child develops like ordinary children, requiring only the supervision of a specialist. In the process of growing up, usually up to 1-1.5 years, this defect closes on its own.
If the defect is of significant size, then the clinic is expressed in:
- slight cyanosis of the nasolabial triangle, if the child cries, screams, or is in an excited state;
- backlog in mental development;
- the child is not gaining weight well;
- has a pale appearance, pale skin.
Patent ductus arteriosus. This duct is important only during fetal development, performing the function of discharging blood from the pulmonary artery to the aorta, bypassing the lungs, which are not yet sufficiently developed in the fetus. After the baby is born, the duct loses its significance and begins to close within the first 24 hours. The complete closure process takes 1-2 weeks. The following factors influence this process:
- prematurity, fetal immaturity;
- low birth weight of the child;
- It was noted that this pathology occurs 2-4 times more often in boys.
A patent ductus arteriosus causes the development low pressure in a child, a decrease in blood supply to the organs and systems of the body, as the blood bypasses a large circle.
With a minor defect there is no defect severe symptoms , most often, it becomes known only with a more complete study of concomitant diseases. These children get sick more often than others colds, and upon auscultation a heart murmur is noted.
At large sizes duct children often suffer from colds and diseases of the upper and lower respiratory tract, get tired quickly, lag behind their peers in mental development, have shortness of breath, and pale skin. On examination, low lower pressure, pulse asymmetry, and a murmur in the heart area are noted.

Pulmonary stenosis. Such a developmental anomaly consists in the fact that on the path of blood flow from the right ventricle to the pulmonary circulation, a certain obstacle is formed in the form of a narrowing of the pulmonary artery. In this case, the localization of the narrowing can be in the place of the valve, and in front of it, and behind it. As a result, blood stagnates in the ventricle, and it flows into the pulmonary circle in a smaller volume. The ventricle hypertrophies, loses the ability to contract rhythmically, and heart failure occurs.
Signs of the defect depend on the size of the opening in the pulmonary artery. With a slight narrowing, there is a murmur in the heart area when listening with a phonendoscope, with a more severe narrowing:
- dyspnea;
- fatigue;
- decrease in blood pressure;
- protrusion chest areas of the heart.
Aortic stenosis. The essence of the disorder is the narrowing of the aortic mouth or its deformation, resulting in an obstruction to the blood flow from the left ventricle to the aorta. The defect leads to hypertrophy of the left ventricle, due to constant stagnation of blood in it, and as a result, to heart failure.

Signs also depend on the size of the defect. With a significant defect of the aortic mouth in children, the following is noted:
- pallor of the skin, sometimes appearing suddenly;
- dyspnea;
- increased heart rate;
- pronounced murmur in the heart area;
- chest pain;
- attacks of suffocation;
Coarctation of the aorta. This type of pathology is often accompanied by other disorders and consists of a congenital anomaly of the aortic trunk.
Symptoms are similar to those of aortic stenosis and also depend on the severity of the defect. This anomaly is most severe in infants: they have severe shortness of breath and eat poorly due to difficulty sucking.

Heart defects in which hemodynamics are not impaired

Heart defects, in which hemodynamics are not impaired, most often form long before the baby is born, in the second week of perinatal development. The reasons for the development of this pathology have not been fully studied by medicine. There is an assumption that it develops due to poor heredity, gene mutations, and the use of illegal drugs that have a teratogenic effect.

Heart defects of this group are characterized by a violation of the position of the heart, which is the main cause of infant mortality of congenital nature.

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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 anxiety 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 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.

As we have already said, sometimes it is permissible to postpone the decision about surgery until a certain age. However, in this case, constant monitoring by doctors and examinations are required at least once every three months. When prescribing medications, it is necessary to give them to the child in strict accordance with the doctor’s instructions.

It is necessary to eliminate physical and emotional stress that can cause a deterioration in the child’s condition. The baby must often be in the fresh air, and parents need to monitor the child’s intake of liquid and table salt.

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What is hidden behind the terrible diagnosis?

The phrase “congenital heart defect” in itself is terrifying, and the mysterious abbreviations that the doctor writes in the child’s card can in this case drive parents to panic. However, you should calm down and find out which disorders are characterized by the letter combination of congenital heart disease.

The heart is one of the most important human organs, and its task is to ensure proper blood flow and, as a result, saturate the entire body with vital oxygen and nutrients. Due to the contraction of the heart muscles, venous blood saturated with carbon dioxide enters the lower chambers of the heart - the atria. Passing into the ventricles - the upper chambers of the heart, the blood is again enriched with oxygen and sent to the main arteries, through which it is delivered to organs and tissues, giving them all the useful substances and taking away carbon dioxide and metabolic products. The blood then passes through the veins and enters the atrium again. The passage of blood from the chambers and its uniform and timely release into the arteries is regulated by muscle valves.

Blood circulation in the body occurs in two directions. Big circle The blood circulation originates in the left atrium and ends in the right ventricle. This vascular pathway maintains the vital functions of all tissues and organs. However, the heart constantly needs oxygen, so the pulmonary circulation connects it only with the lungs, starting from the right atrium, passing through the pulmonary arteries and returning to the left ventricle.

It is obvious that the heart and blood vessels are a clear, impeccably streamlined system, where unimportant details simply do not exist. The slightest error in the functioning of any of the components of the organ can cause disturbances in the body as a whole, and in particularly serious cases, even lead to death. Therefore, improperly functioning heart chambers, untimely opening valves or damaged large vessels are classified as heart defects.

According to statistics, for every thousand healthy babies there are 6-8 children with heart pathologies. Congenital heart disease in newborns is the second most common disease of the cardiovascular system.

Most often, the occurrence of pathologies of the heart and blood vessels is caused by the following reasons.

Infectious diseases on early stages pregnancy. Such diseases are especially dangerous in the first trimester, between 3 and 8 weeks of pregnancy, when the baby’s heart and blood vessels are forming. The most insidious disease is rubella, which causes severe lesions fetus
Age and health status of the mother. With age, the body's defenses gradually weaken, and during pregnancy, the endocrine and immune systems are restructured in such a way as to maximally support the woman's health, even to the detriment of the unborn child. Therefore, the older the expectant mother and the more chronic diseases, the higher the risk of improper formation of the baby’s cardiovascular system.
Non-compliance healthy image life during pregnancy - smoking, use of drugs, alcoholic beverages, uncontrolled use of medications or work in hazardous work negatively affect the body, and primarily the functioning of the heart.
Heredity. Unfortunately, the tendency to heart pathologies can be transmitted at the genetic level. And if among your maternal or paternal relatives someone has been diagnosed with a congenital heart defect, then the pregnancy must be monitored very closely, since the risk of the disease is extremely high.

No one can give a 100% guarantee that a child will not develop a heart defect. However, the expectant mother is able to minimize this risk. Proper nutrition, refusal bad habits, strengthening the immune system and carefully planning pregnancy will ensure the normal development and proper formation of all organs of the unborn baby.

How does pathology manifest itself?

Often, after identifying a child’s heart pathologies, parents are frightened not so much by the diagnosis itself as by the lack of necessary information. The formulations used by doctors often not only fail to clarify the situation, but also create even more fear. Therefore, it is important to roughly understand what is meant by a particular diagnosis.

In total, about one hundred types of congenital heart defects are classified, but the following pathologies are the most common.

Hypoplasia is insufficient development of one of the ventricles. With this disorder, only part of the heart works effectively. It does not occur too often, but is one of the most serious defects.
Transposition great vessels(TMS) is an extremely severe heart defect, which is characterized by a mirror arrangement of the arteries. In this case, the process of enriching the blood with oxygen is disrupted.
Obstruction defects. Associated with improper formation of openings in blood vessels. Most often, in children with heart disease, stenosis (abnormal narrowing of blood vessels or heart valves) and atresia (partial closure of the lumen of blood vessels) are determined. Particularly dangerous is coarctation of the aorta, a narrowing of the largest blood vessel in the body.
Atrial septal defect (ASD) is a violation of the development of tissue between the chambers of the heart, as a result of which blood moves from one atrium to another, and the stability of blood circulation is disrupted.
Ventricular septal defect (VSD) is the most common heart defect. It is characterized by underdevelopment of the tissue wall between the right and left ventricles, which leads to incorrect blood circulation.

Often heart defects are combined with each other, so when making a diagnosis it is necessary to indicate all lesions of the heart and blood vessels. Hence the possible numerous abbreviations in children's cards, which frighten parents so much.

Circulatory disorders primarily affect the color of the skin. Based on this, heart defects are divided into two groups: pale and blue.

Pale or white defects are abnormal narrowing of blood vessels, defects in the septa between the chambers of the heart. Arterial and venous blood do not mix. Children with such pathologies have unhealthy pale skin. Blue heart defects include transposition of the great vessels and tetralogy of Fallot (complex heart defect with vasoconstriction, septal defect and underdevelopment of one of the ventricles). With such disorders, the autonomy of all cardiac chambers is impaired, as a result of which arterial and venous blood is mixed. Because of this, the skin acquires a bluish or grayish tint, which is especially noticeable on the skin of the extremities and in the area of the nasolabial triangle.

In addition to an unhealthy skin tone, the following symptoms of congenital heart disease in newborns are noted:

severe shortness of breath;
rapid heartbeat;
fatigue;
poor appetite, slow weight gain, frequent regurgitation;
heart murmurs when listening with a stethoscope.

Each of these symptoms separately does not indicate the presence of a heart defect. However, the presence of more than two unfavorable signs requires immediate contact with specialists, since any heart defect leads to serious complications. If mild disturbances in the functioning of the heart and blood vessels can lead to slow development of the child, frequent fainting and dizziness, decreased immunity, then more severe ones at any time can lead to acute heart failure and fatal outcome. Therefore, if there is a suspicion that something is wrong with the child’s heart, you should not wait: in this case, every second counts, and the examination must be carried out as soon as possible. Heart disease is especially dangerous because it may not manifest itself in any way in the first year of life. That is why ultrasound of the heart at the age of 6-9 months is included in the list of mandatory examinations for children in the first year of life.

Treatment of congenital heart disease in children

The choice of treatment for congenital heart disease in newborns depends on the results of the examination. Diagnosis of cardiac dysfunction includes the following procedures:

electrocardiogram - detection of heart rhythm disturbances;
radiography of the heart - study of vascular patency;
ultrasound examination - identifying abnormalities in the structure of the heart;
echocardiogram - study of the functioning of the heart;
Doppler - study of blood flow characteristics.

If a child is eventually diagnosed with a heart defect, the question of surgical intervention is raised. However, the decision about surgery can only be made by specialists - a cardiologist and a cardiac surgeon, so contacting them in a short time can save the baby’s life.

In some cases, surgery may be delayed. If the blood supply to the tissues and lungs is slightly impaired and no serious threat to the child’s life has been identified at the moment, the operation is performed at an older age, when the patient is stronger. It happens that surgical intervention remains in question for a long time: sometimes the pathology corrects itself. This especially often concerns the so-called oval window - an additional duct that does not close at birth for some reason. Such cases require regular monitoring by a cardiologist. However, in no case should you hope that everything will go away on its own - constant consultations with a doctor and strict adherence to all his recommendations are vital.

For severe heart defects, operations can be performed as early as infancy. The type of intervention depends on the type of pathology. This may include ligation or intersection of a vessel (with an open ductus arteriosus), application of a patch and plastic surgery of the tissues of the septum between the heart chambers, catheterization to dilate narrowed vessels, removal of a section of the aorta, movement of vessels (with transposition), transplantation of heart valves and installation of a homograft (vascular prosthesis). ). In complex cases, more than one operation may be required with an interval of several months to a year.

When treating heart disease, the postoperative period is no less important than the operation itself. The child is prescribed painkillers and drugs to improve cardiac activity, as well as all necessary procedures. Regardless of age, a small patient will need careful care and strict adherence to all medical instructions before and after surgery.

It is necessary to take care of the health of the unborn baby even before pregnancy. Correct lifestyle and exclusion of influences dangerous for expectant mothers environment will increase the chances of having a healthy baby. However, it is unfortunately impossible to completely insure yourself against diseases.

Methods modern diagnostics have stepped far forward. Therefore, it is possible to identify disturbances in the formation of the cardiovascular system even before the birth of the child. Already at the beginning of the second trimester, it is possible to determine the presence or absence of cardiac pathologies based on the results of an ultrasound examination. Regularly undergoing all necessary examinations will help identify abnormalities in the baby’s development as early as possible.

If an ultrasound does not reveal any pathologies, this is not a reason to lose vigilance, because signs of improper heart function may appear later. Even if nothing bothers the child, doctors recommend doing an ultrasound of the heart in infancy, when the baby can sit up confidently.

If a heart defect has been identified, there is no reason to panic: you need to undergo all the necessary examinations and contact specialists as soon as possible. In no case should you rely on chance: congenital heart disease is an insidious and unpredictable disease.

If surgery has been postponed, the cardiologist will give lifestyle recommendations and possibly prescribe some medications. It is necessary to strictly follow all instructions, and at the slightest sign of discomfort, consult a doctor.

Heart operations are often performed when the child is of conscious age. During this period, the attention and care of parents is more important for the baby than ever. If surgical intervention Even adults are afraid, let alone children, for whom this seems like a disaster. Therefore, psychological preparation of the child for surgery is necessary in any case.

You can tell your son or daughter about the benefits of the operation, how doctors will help the heart work better, and even that soon he will be able to run and play sports like other children. The main thing is to feel confident: the child will sensitively detect any nervousness and begin to worry himself.

After surgery If possible, you should always be nearby: for a child tired of pain and fear, the love of his parents is vital. It is necessary to praise the child for his perseverance and patience and emphasize in every possible way that the pain will go away, the IVs will be removed, the bandages will be removed and he will soon feel much better. It is better to forget about pedagogy: in such a situation, children are allowed any whims, unless, of course, they contradict the treatment regimen.

Congenital heart disease in a child today is no longer something catastrophic. Medicine is moving forward by leaps and bounds, new and effective methods treatment allows you to get rid of the disease completely. The main thing is the sensitivity and attention of parents to the health and well-being of the child. Only then will the baby be able to forget about all the ailments and live a full life.

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Heart disease in children

Functional divisions of the heart into the right (pulmonary) and left (systemic) sections occur only after birth. During the period of intrauterine development, the atria and ventricles of a child act as a single hollow organism, communicating through the foramen ovale. The essence of all defects is as follows: the four chambers of the heart (2 atria and 2 ventricles) are separated from each other by partitions and valves, ensuring blood flow in the right direction. The presence of a defect in one of the walls or an abnormality of the valve is a heart defect. All defects are conventionally divided into two categories - congenital and acquired.

These are anomalies in the structure of the heart and large vessels that form during the period of embryonic development, as a result of which disturbances in hemodynamics occur - the movement of blood through the vessels, which can lead to heart failure and dystrophic changes in body tissues. This is one of the most common congenital anomalies in children - 30% of all congenital malformations. The highest incidence of congenital malformations among all live births is found in low birth weight infants, especially premature infants. In terms of frequency of occurrence, it ranks third after congenital pathologies of the musculoskeletal system and nervous system.

All congenital heart defects can be divided into four main groups; they can occur in isolation and in various combinations:

defects of the interatrial, interventricular, atrioventricular septa;
stenosis or insufficiency of heart valves;
three-chambered (single-ventricle) heart;
transposition of the great vessels;
dextrocardia is an abnormal location of the heart in the right half of the chest.

Patent ductus arteriosus, Atrial septal defect, Ventricular septal defect, Patent atrioventricular canal, Common truncus arteriosus, Isolated pulmonary artery stenosis, Tetralogy of Fallot, Ebstein's anomaly, Coarctation of the aorta - these are a few of the diagnoses that parents of a sick baby can hear from a doctor. More than 90 variants of the disease and about 200 different combinations exist in the structure of congenital heart defects. Approximately 50% of patients with congenital heart disease require therapeutic or surgical intervention in the first year of life. In half of these cases, the critical condition is associated with heart failure and in half with arterial hypoxemia or the threat of closure of the patent ductus arteriosus (ductus). A relatively small group consists of children with isolated rhythm disturbances.

Separately, I would like to note the Ventricular Septal Defect and not, because it accounts for approximately 30% of all heart defects. But because in more than 80% of cases it does not require treatment, since it closes on its own in the child during the first months or years of life.

Acquired heart defects in children are typical for the older age group. They arise as a result of progressive or chronic diseases, or traumatic damage to valve structures. This type of heart defect is detected in 3% - 6% of children; it should be taken into account that at present this figure has decreased significantly due to the fact that the incidence of rheumatism, which is the main source of the formation of PPS, has decreased. Although sometimes a congenital heart defect remains undetected until later in childhood.

Classification of acquired heart defects:

Mitral valve defects;
Aortic valve defects;
Tricuspid valve defects;
Pulmonary valve disease;
Infective endocarditis;
Pericarditis.

Abnormalities of valve structures disrupt blood flow throughout the body. There are three main types of heart valve dysfunction:

stenosis - the leaflets cannot open fully, resulting in a decrease in the area of the valve opening;
prolapse - the valves lengthen and sag when closing;
regurgitation is a condition when the valves are unable to close completely, and a reverse blood flow occurs, opposite to the normal, physiological one. Pathology of the heart valves provokes the development of arrhythmia and thromboembolism as a result of the accumulation of blood clots in the dilated chambers of the heart.

A rare but serious cause of heart valve pathology is infective endocarditis.

Bacteria enter the bloodstream as a result of:

direct infection through intravenous injections;
dental and medical procedures;
severe or chronic infections such as abscesses.

Bacteria enter the bloodstream and settle on the valve flaps, causing irreversible changes.

Symptoms of heart defects in children

Many congenital heart defects are recognized before birth. At the 18th week of pregnancy, an ultrasound examination, in addition to assessing the size of the fetus, diagnoses structural abnormalities. Ultrasound diagnostic specialists, among other things, identify signs of congenital heart disease in a child. Symptoms of heart defects can be observed at birth. For example, severe cyanosis (bluish tint of the skin and mucous membranes due to insufficient oxygen supply to the blood). However, in babies with normal skin color, heart defects cannot be ruled out. It should be noted that clinical manifestations This pathology may appear later, as a result of changes in the first hours of life.

The external symptoms of CHD and PPS are similar. However, often the first manifestations of heart disease are its complications - atrial fibrillation, acute pulmonary edema or symptoms associated with pulmonary infarction or impaired blood supply to an organ or tissue. These symptoms arise due to blockage of blood vessels by any particles carried by the blood or lymph flow. Under normal conditions, these particles are naturally absent from the body. Symptoms for infective endocardia appear slightly differently; they are supplemented by the degree of activity inflammatory process. Symptoms consist of three main syndromes: toxicosis, endocardial damage and thromboembolic complications, accompanied by high fever.

The disease of pericarditis has its own characteristics, it is usually acute. IN clinical picture The determining factors are: signs of compression of the cavities of the heart (hypodiastole). They, in turn, lead to stagnation in the venous cava system, edema, hepato- and splepomegaly. One of the common and fairly typical symptoms is pain. It is characterized by persistence; in young children it is often localized in the abdominal area and is accompanied by flatulence.

Signs of heart defects in children

Signs of heart defects in children usually appear only during physical activity, when one can notice rapid fatigue, shortness of breath, severe tachycardia; as the pathology progresses, the feeling of lack of air occurs more and more often, in connection with performing the simplest actions, for example, when getting dressed. Complaints of general fatigue, weakness, pain in the heart, cough, dizziness and headaches, swelling of the veins in the neck and a tendency to swelling. A sharp increase in pain when changing body position or deep breathing can be considered quite typical. In older children, localization pain syndrome more typical is chest pain radiating to the left shoulder and neck.

In infants, one of the signs is difficulty breastfeeding: after 1-2 minutes the child refuses the breast, becomes restless, severe shortness of breath appears, and sometimes cyanosis of the face, hands, and feet. Another obvious sign will be impaired growth and development.

Treatment of heart defects in children

There can be two types of treatment for heart defects in children - surgical and therapeutic, both for congenital and acquired heart defects.

The main direction of therapy for all forms is the fight against heart failure. If an immunological mechanism is present, anti-inflammatory therapy, mainly non-hormonal drugs, may be recommended. For vascular lesions, drugs that improve microcirculation are used. During the recovery period, cardiotrophic drugs may be recommended. Antibiotics (penicillin drugs) are used for bacterial lesions, in particular for post-streptococcal myocarditis. In parallel, treatment of the underlying disease is carried out. For infectious pericarditis, the main treatment is massive and long-term antibiotic therapy.

Indications for surgical correction of the defect are: 1) the appearance of shortness of breath and signs of heart failure during physical activity; 2) increasing signs of hypertrophy and overload of the heart; 3) increase in pressure in the right - left ventricle. Surgical treatment is optimally performed in children at early school age, and for emergency indications - at any age. Because sometimes early surgical correction of a defect is the only way to save the patient.

Moms and dads should know that this is a heart defect serious illness which requires the most careful attention. Therefore, you should not trust unverified clinics, and even more so, you should not turn to unconventional methods of treatment.

Many parents are afraid of operations, trying to avoid them by any means, not realizing that sometimes this is the only possible way to cure. Parents should not be afraid of this, they should talk with specialists several times - understand everything well, become obligatory participants in the child’s healing process, objectively know the situation and how the child will need to be managed after the operation. This is a serious test for the whole family, but not all operations are as dangerous as they seem. In heart surgery, there are a number of operations for which the mortality rate is zero. And this is the merit of our doctors.

It's a heart attack

From the very beginning of pregnancy, future parents are constantly haunted by the thought: “If only the child was born healthy!” Indeed, there is hardly anything that can worry and frighten more than childhood illnesses. And when it comes to such a terrible diagnosis as congenital heart disease in children, many fall into despair.

In fact, you shouldn’t give up: with timely diagnosis and proper treatment, it is quite possible to save a child from a serious illness.

What is hidden behind the terrible diagnosis?

Blood circulation in the body occurs in two directions. The systemic circulation originates in the left atrium and ends in the right ventricle. This vascular pathway maintains the vital functions of all tissues and organs. However, the heart constantly needs oxygen, so the pulmonary circulation connects it only with the lungs, starting from the right atrium, passing through the pulmonary arteries and returning to the left ventricle.

Most often, the occurrence of pathologies of the heart and blood vessels is caused by the following reasons.

Infectious diseases in early pregnancy. Such diseases are especially dangerous in the first trimester, between 3 and 8 weeks of pregnancy, when the baby’s heart and blood vessels are forming. The most insidious disease is rubella, which causes severe damage to the fetus.
Age and health status of the mother. With age, the body's defenses gradually weaken, and during pregnancy, the endocrine and immune systems are restructured in such a way as to maximally support the woman's health, even to the detriment of the unborn child. Therefore, the older the expectant mother and the more chronic diseases she has, the higher the risk of improper formation of the baby’s cardiovascular system.
Failure to maintain a healthy lifestyle during pregnancy - smoking, drug use, alcoholic beverages, uncontrolled use of medications or working in hazardous industries - negatively affects the body, and primarily the functioning of the heart.
Heredity. Unfortunately, the tendency to heart pathologies can be transmitted at the genetic level. And if among your maternal or paternal relatives someone has been diagnosed with a congenital heart defect, then the pregnancy must be monitored very closely, since the risk of the disease is extremely high.

No one can give a 100% guarantee that a child will not develop a heart defect. However, the expectant mother is able to minimize this risk. Proper nutrition, giving up bad habits, strengthening the immune system and careful pregnancy planning will ensure the normal development and proper formation of all organs of the unborn baby.

How does pathology manifest itself?

In total, about one hundred types of congenital heart defects are classified, but the following pathologies are the most common.

Hypoplasia is insufficient development of one of the ventricles. With this disorder, only part of the heart works effectively. It does not occur too often, but is one of the most serious defects.
Transposition of the great vessels (GV) is an extremely severe heart defect, which is characterized by a mirror arrangement of the arteries. In this case, the process of enriching the blood with oxygen is disrupted.
Obstruction defects. Associated with improper formation of openings in blood vessels. Most often, in children with heart disease, stenosis (abnormal narrowing of blood vessels or heart valves) and atresia (partial closure of the lumen of blood vessels) are determined. Particularly dangerous is coarctation of the aorta, a narrowing of the largest blood vessel in the body.
Atrial septal defect (ASD) is a violation of the development of tissue between the chambers of the heart, as a result of which blood moves from one atrium to another, and the stability of blood circulation is disrupted.
Ventricular septal defect (VSD) is the most common heart defect. It is characterized by underdevelopment of the tissue wall between the right and left ventricles, which leads to incorrect blood circulation.

Circulatory disorders primarily affect the color of the skin. Based on this, heart defects are divided into two groups: pale and blue.

In addition to an unhealthy skin tone, the following symptoms of congenital heart disease in newborns are noted:

severe shortness of breath;
rapid heartbeat;
fatigue;
poor appetite, slow weight gain, frequent regurgitation;
heart murmurs when listening with a stethoscope.

Each of these symptoms separately does not indicate the presence of a heart defect. However, the presence of more than two unfavorable signs requires immediate contact with specialists, since any heart defect leads to serious complications. If mild disturbances in the functioning of the heart and blood vessels can lead to slow development of the child, frequent fainting and dizziness, and decreased immunity, then more severe ones can at any time lead to acute heart failure and death. Therefore, if there is a suspicion that something is wrong with the child’s heart, you should not wait: in this case, every second counts, and the examination must be carried out as soon as possible. Heart disease is especially dangerous because it may not manifest itself in any way in the first year of life. That is why ultrasound of the heart at the age of 6-9 months is included in the list of mandatory examinations for children in the first year of life.

Treatment of congenital heart disease in children

The choice of treatment for congenital heart disease in newborns depends on the results of the examination. Diagnosis of cardiac dysfunction includes the following procedures:

electrocardiogram - detection of heart rhythm disturbances;
radiography of the heart - study of vascular patency;
ultrasound examination - identifying abnormalities in the structure of the heart;
echocardiogram - study of the functioning of the heart;
Doppler - study of blood flow characteristics.

It is necessary to take care of the health of the unborn baby even before pregnancy. A healthy lifestyle and the elimination of environmental influences that are dangerous for expectant mothers will increase the chances of having a healthy baby. However, it is unfortunately impossible to completely insure yourself against diseases.

Modern diagnostic methods have come a long way. Therefore, it is possible to identify disturbances in the formation of the cardiovascular system even before the birth of the child. Already at the beginning of the second trimester, it is possible to determine the presence or absence of cardiac pathologies based on the results of an ultrasound examination. Regularly undergoing all necessary examinations will help identify abnormalities in the baby’s development as early as possible.

Heart operations are often performed when the child is of conscious age. During this period, the attention and care of parents is more important for the baby than ever. If even adults are afraid of surgical intervention, let alone children, for whom it seems like a disaster. Therefore, psychological preparation of the child for surgery is necessary in any case.

According to statistics, congenital heart defects (CHD) in newborns are much more common than other developmental defects. They account for 22% of all recorded intrauterine developmental defects. In numbers, it looks something like this: per thousand babies, 8-12 children are born with heart defects of varying severity. Unfortunately, the number of such newborns only increases every year. There are many reasons for this. And, if we evaluate the situation objectively, very rarely we can influence them. So the question is different. A child has a heart defect: what to do? What is it and how to deal with it? The diagnosis sounds quite scary. But is this really so?

What is congenital heart disease

Any violation of the structure of the constituent parts of the heart is called congenital heart disease. The walls of the heart, valves, septa, as well as large blood vessels extending from it can form incorrectly and, therefore, function incorrectly. Due to such changes, the child’s blood circulation is disrupted. The liver, spleen, kidneys, brain, and the brain itself suffer from a deficiency of blood and, accordingly, oxygen.

If the problem is in the blood vessels, the heart does not receive enough blood and there is simply nothing to pump to internal organs. If the valves located in the arteries that extend from the heart do not function correctly, the movement of blood along the path intended for it by nature is very difficult. And this prevents the baby from living a full life. It is difficult for him to do everything that is considered completely natural for an ordinary child: breathe, eat, move...

Therefore, parents of newborns should be careful. But there is no need to panic either. Attentive father-mother and doctors may well notice functional disturbances in the work of the little “motor” in time and come to the aid of the baby in time.

Congenital heart defect: video

Congenital heart disease in children: symptoms

Symptoms of congenital heart disease are not the same in all children. They depend on the type of defect. And also from individual characteristics development of each child. The reason for contacting a pediatric cardiologist may be any deviation from the norm.

The newborn does not gain weight well (less than 113-125 g per week). This is a reason to see a doctor.
Bronchitis, pneumonia, tonsillitis. If these diseases are frequent guests in your home, then your child should be examined. There are many reasons for weakened immunity in children. And one of them is UPS.
A child’s lagging behind his peers in development (physical and psychomotor) is also a serious reason for parents to be alarmed.
If, during screaming or other active actions, the baby experiences a phenomenon such as blue discoloration of the nasolabial triangle, arms and legs or the whole body, as well as shortness of breath, you should urgently consult a doctor.
It also happens that the baby’s hemoglobin is in perfect order, but the child looks very pale and translucent. Do not refuse the tests that the pediatrician will prescribe for him if you notice such unnatural pallor.

Be attentive to any changes and deviations in. Then you can always come to the rescue in time exactly when the baby needs it most.

But why does this happen? What factors influence the fact that in the small organism growing inside the mother, some processes begin to go against the scenario invented by nature? What are the reasons for the development of congenital heart disease in children?

It turns out that it is from the second to the eighth week of a baby’s life under the mother’s heart that he is most vulnerable to negative influences. Because at this time the heart chambers and its septa are formed in the embryo. Among the causes of congenital heart disease, the following are especially common.

Chromosomal and gene abnormalities. They are often hereditary.
Infectious diseases that the mother suffered in the first trimester of pregnancy. This can be toxoplasmosis, herpes, rubella, cytomegalovirus, etc.
mothers, such as diabetes, for example. As well as heart and kidney diseases.
Alcohol abuse by the mother during pregnancy. Smoking. Taking drugs and potent medications.
Deterioration of the environmental situation.

Most often, congenital heart disease in a child is detected during pregnancy when the mother undergoes an ultrasound examination of the fetus. But there are also defects that can be detected only some time after the birth of the baby. Why? Here's the thing.

The circulatory system of a baby in the mother's tummy differs from the circulatory system of a newborn. The fetus's lungs do not yet function. And for everything metabolic processes the placenta is responsible in his body.

Immediately after the baby is born, its lungs open. And the auxiliary openings in its heart, called the “oval window” and the “ductus arteriosus,” gradually close. And the blood begins to circulate as in an adult.

But these holes can close not only throughout the entire first year of the baby’s life, but also longer. Or they may not close at all. But this will not harm the child’s health at all. But there are serious and dangerous vices. Threatening the health and life of crumbs. You must understand this clearly. And immediately consult a doctor if you have any, even the slightest, suspicions.

Congenital heart disease: tests and examinations

Symptoms of congenital heart disease in a newborn may increase gradually. And if it was not discovered by a neonatologist in the maternity hospital, then the local pediatrician and pediatric cardiologist, who consults the mother and child when he is 3 months old, will definitely examine the baby for congenital heart disease. And if necessary, they will prescribe additional examinations for him. What kind of examinations are these, and why are they needed?

Cardiogram. Determines the electrical activity of the heart muscle. Possible enlargement of the heart muscle, as well as its overload.
Echocardiography (ultrasound). Ultrasound examination of the heart. Shows defects in the walls, septa, valves and blood vessels of the heart.
X-ray of the chest organs. Demonstrates the location of the heart and its shape. Presence of changes in the lungs.
Doppler study. Detects blood flow disturbances in the heart and inside large vessels.
Angiocardiography. Helps to better see the blood flow through the arteries.
Tomography – computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging. Clarifies the type of defect in the heart and its structural features.
Blood and urine tests. They provide information about the state of the body as a whole.

Congenital heart disease: treatment

Based on the above studies, the pediatric cardiologist makes a conclusion. If the diagnosis of congenital heart disease is confirmed, he registers the child at the dispensary. This means that the baby should be regularly monitored by a pediatrician and cardiologist. A cardiologist - once every 3 months, a pediatrician - once a month.

Children with heart defects need to be protected from infections and their immunity should be boosted in every possible way. Such children are shown movements without excessive stress in the fresh air. They must eat right and strictly follow a daily routine. During periods of deterioration, to alleviate the condition, they are prescribed stimulants, oxygen masks, and complete rest.

But, as you understand, congenital heart disease is most effectively treated with surgery. No amount of medication will move the valve or septum to the right place. But a surgeon can do this.

Surgery: congenital heart defect

Surgery is a radical, but the most effective way to treat congenital heart disease. Unfortunately, many parents, experiencing a subconscious fear of it, try to shelve it. Without even thinking about the fact that their baby’s heart is constantly, every second, every day and hour, experiencing an exorbitant load. Irreversible changes occur in it. And the sooner the operation is performed, the more realistic the hope for a complete recovery of the baby.

Today, the level of operations on children's hearts is very high. Children recover quickly after cardiac surgery. So, if the doctor advises you to undergo surgery, you need to gather your strength, operate and continue treatment until the baby’s complete recovery.

The heart is figuratively called a “fiery engine.” And if this “motor” suddenly begins to malfunction, you can do everything to make it knock confidently, rhythmically, for a long time. Delivering vital energy to all cells of the small body of your beloved baby...

The human body works like unified system where each organ performs its own function. The heart is the main organ of the circulatory system and is responsible for filling all the blood vessels in the body.

If the structure of the heart chambers or large vessels differs from normal, this indicates a defect. But how to determine the presence of a heart defect - congenital or acquired (CHD and PPS)? Is it possible to understand by feeling that it’s time to see a cardiologist? See symptoms of congenital heart disease in newborns? What procedures will help doctors recognize the disease and based on what signs? We will tell you all about the manifestations and symptoms of heart defects in adults and children, possible patient complaints and modern methods diagnostics!

Heart disease is a disease caused by changes in the structure of valves, septa or blood vessels. These defects lead to disruption of blood flow in the body. It depends on the affected area.

All cardiac pathologies are divided into.

Almost all heart defects are curable, often with surgery. Modern medicine has many successful cases surgical treatment heart defects in adults and children.

Types and symptoms of congenital heart disease

Congenital defects are anatomical defects that form in the womb. Out of 1000 newborns, 6-8 children are born with defects. Despite the reliability of modern equipment, due to the characteristics of the fetal circulatory system, sometimes the defect is detected only after birth.

Even if the pregnancy was normal and all necessary tests were completed, the baby should be carefully examined after birth.

Main types birth defects hearts:

. The most common pathology. Due to the hole in the septum, the load on the left side of the heart increases.
Absence of interventricular septum. Blood mixes in the ventricles, the heart increases in size.
. The septum between the atria does not fuse. The pressure increases, the left side of the heart increases in size.
Narrowing of the aorta. Blood cannot circulate normally, the entire circulatory process is disrupted.
. Leads to pathology abnormal development heart valves.
. Severe combined congenital defect in infants.

Signs in newborns and infants

Symptoms and signs of congenital heart defects in young children, which may alert parents of a baby, look like this:

Heart murmur. When listening to the baby's heart, the doctor may hear a characteristic murmur. In this case, it is necessary to do an echocardiogram to exclude a defect.
Insufficient weight gain. If during the first months of life the baby receives a sufficient amount of nutrition, but the weight gain does not exceed 400 g, it is worth making an appointment with a pediatrician.
The child is lethargic and has shortness of breath. Fatigue may occur during feeding; the baby eats little but often. The pediatrician should notice shortness of breath and give a referral to a cardiologist.
Tachycardia. During a follow-up examination, the doctor may detect a rapid heartbeat.
Cyanosis. The child's lips, heels and fingertips acquire a bluish tint. This may indicate a lack of oxygen in the blood due to a defect in the cardiovascular system.

Symptoms in children and adolescents

There are cases when congenital heart disease does not make itself felt until school age. Parents should remember the main symptoms of congenital heart defects; if they appear, they should consult a cardiologist. These symptoms include:

pain and heaviness in the chest area;
swelling of the legs;
blood pressure surges;
shortness of breath after physical activity;
weakness and fatigue.

Timely diagnosis is the key to effective treatment, therefore, if you detect one or more signs of a defect, do not delay a visit to a specialist.

What are the manifestations in adults?

In adults, congenital defects are rarely found; more often they are acquired. But medical practice There are known cases of congenital heart disease being detected quite late, and some diseases only begin to manifest themselves at the age of 20 years.

The symptoms remain the same: shortness of breath, intolerance physical activity, fatigue, rhythm disturbances and pressure surges, abdominal and sternum pain, heart murmurs.

Clinical picture of the development of PPS

PPS is otherwise called valve defects: in these diseases, it is the heart valves that are affected. The reasons for their development are infections, inflammation, autoimmune processes, overload of the heart chambers.

Let us briefly consider the classification of these diseases.

By localization:

Monovalve - only one valve is affected.
Combined - more than one valve is affected: two-valve, three-valve.

According to the functional form:

Simple – stenosis or insufficiency.
– combine several simple defects on several valves.
Combined - stenosis and insufficiency on only one of the valves.

Due to development (etiology) diseases can be rheumatic (up to 30-50% of all mitral stenoses are consequences of rheumatism), atherosclerotic, caused by bacterial endocarditis, syphilis ( syphilitic lesion heart is included in the list) and other diseases.

If the defects are minimally expressed, they do not appear clinically. In the stages of decompensation, hemodynamic disturbances appear, which are characterized by shortness of breath during physical activity, bluish skin, swelling, tachycardia, cough, and chest pain.

Let's take a closer look at the symptoms of acquired heart defects: how do they manifest themselves?

Mitral valve insufficiency and stenosis

In the stage of compensation for mitral insufficiency, people do not feel problems, however, as the condition worsens, shortness of breath (initially during physical activity, then at rest), palpitations, dry cough, and chest pain (in the area of the heart) may occur. Swelling appears later lower limbs, pain in the right hypochondrium.

During examination, doctors reveal cyanosis of the skin and swelling of the veins in the neck. When listening, a weakening or absence of the first tone and systolic murmur are noticed. Characteristic changes in pulse and blood pressure No.

With mitral stenosis, new complaints are added to the above complaints. A person who suddenly stands up may develop cardiac asthma. The cough is dry, there may be some sputum, and hemoptysis occurs. The voice becomes hoarse, and increased fatigue occurs. Often, against the background of heart pain and tachycardia, arrhythmia begins - interruptions in rhythm.

What will the doctor see? On pale skin, a sharply defined bluish “blush” appears - a triangle from the tip of the nose to the lips. During auscultation, you can hear the so-called three-part “quail rhythm”, protodiastolic and presystolic murmur. Hypotension is possible (pressure tends to decrease), the pulse varies depending on the location of measurement.

Aortic stenosis and insufficiency

Aortic stenosis occurs without symptoms for a long time; the first complaints begin when the valve opening narrows to more than 2/3 of the normal state. These are pains of a compressive nature in the chest during physical activity, fainting, dizziness.

Later, cardiac asthma, shortness of breath at rest, fatigue and weakness may develop. Further development causes swelling of the legs and pain in the hypochondrium on the right.

The doctor will also see external signs of the defect: pale or blue discoloration of the skin, swelling of the neck veins. Pay attention to systolic tremor a la, weakening of the first and second tones, systolic murmur, which intensifies in a supine position on the right side, if you hold your breath while exhaling.

Pulse rare, weak. Systolic pressure is low, diastolic pressure is normal or increased.

With aortic insufficiency, there are practically no complaints during compensation; sometimes tachycardia and pulsation behind the sternum are observed. In the stage of decompensation, angina pain in the chest occurs, for which nitroglycerin does not help well, and standard symptoms: dizziness, fainting, shortness of breath (first with exertion, then at rest), swelling, a feeling of heaviness or pain on the right under the ribs.

The examination reveals pallor, pulsation of the peripheral arteries, rhythmic changes in skin color under the nails and on the lips with light pressure, and possible head shaking synchronous with the pulse. On auscultation, organic and functional noises will be heard; listening to the femoral artery will show a double Traube tone and a double Vinogradov-Durozier murmur.

The pulse is accelerated and high. Systolic and pulse pressure increase, diastolic decreases.

Diagnostics: how to determine a heart defect?

The most popular and effective diagnostic method is echocardioscopy with Doppler. It allows not only to detect a defect, but also to assess its severity and degree of decompensation.

An ECG and a 24-hour (Holter) ECG are also performed - they show the heart rhythm, phonocardiography - to determine heart sounds and murmurs. The type of defect is clarified using radiography.

In addition to technical methods, the diagnosis of heart defects is based on 4 mandatory methods: inspection, percussion (tapping), palpation (palpation) and auscultation (listening). Not a single doctor can do without them.

In children, pathology can be detected during a routine examination. The pediatrician, having heard extraneous noises while listening to the heart, will give a referral to a pediatric cardiologist. The specialist will prescribe necessary tests and make an accurate diagnosis.

Is it possible and how to determine a heart defect in a fetus? If a congenital heart defect is suspected during pregnancy, fetal echocardiography is performed - an ultrasound examination of the fetus in the womb. The structure of the heart can be reasonably studied as early as 10 weeks. Mothers at risk undergo extended echocardiography. High-quality diagnostics can detect 60-80% of congenital heart disease before birth.

Heart defects are the most common cause of death in infants under one year of age. That's why it's so it is important to know about the disease and its symptoms. After all, timely contact with a specialist can save a child’s life. Perhaps the defect will not be confirmed, and the parents’ fears will be in vain, but when it comes to the child’s health, it is better to be safe.

For adults it is necessary to observe the prevention of diseases of the cardiovascular system. Giving up bad habits, healthy eating, moderate physical activity and regular examination by a specialist - all this together will help maintain a healthy heart for many years.

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 special approach and complex 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. Typically, a decrease in oxygen concentration in arterial blood appears with the birth of the 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 has bluish skin, ears, lips, as well as 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 to avoid influence at this time harmful factors which 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 modern medicine, this disease is successfully healed. Like any other disease, heart disease is easier to treat if it is detected on early stage. Therefore, as soon as you notice unusual changes in the baby’s behavior and condition, contact a specialist. An additional examination will be ordered if the doctor confirms that the symptoms may be signs of a heart defect. 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 a defect heart light degrees require monitoring by a cardiologist and regular examinations. Over time, their heart can 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 they alleviate the child’s condition, and then prepare for surgery to completely eliminate the defects.

Surgery for heart defects can be open or closed. During a closed operation, the heart is not affected, and the operation is performed on large blood vessels around him. 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.