Can My Baby Die From a Heart Murmur
Nearly one in every 100 children has a heart problem, which may also be called a heart defect or congenital (nowadays from nativity) heart affliction. Heart defects tin usually exist treated with medicine, surgery or other medical procedures.
Virtually tests for eye problems are simple, quick and not painful. Most children with heart defects live a normal and full life with very few or no restrictions.
Signs and symptoms of heart defects
Many children with heart defects appear healthy and take no symptoms, and their parents practice not know they take a middle problem. If children do accept symptoms, they oft develop in the starting time few weeks after they are born. Common symptoms include:
- blue color effectually the lips and blueish skin (cyanosis)
- difficulty feeding (peculiarly becoming sweaty during feeds)
- shortness of jiff
- poor growth
- pale skin
- fatigue.
These symptoms result from a reduced oxygen supply to the trunk, which happens because the blood does not have as much oxygen every bit usual, or the centre does not pump also as it should.
How the centre works
The heart has four chambers (like rooms) – two on each side of the body. The right side collects blood from the body and sends blood to the lungs to collect oxygen from the air we breathe. The left side collects the fresh blood back from the lungs and pumps it to the rest of the trunk.
Arteries are the tubes that carry blood abroad from the middle and veins are the tubes that return blood to the centre.
The blood from the lungs, which is full of oxygen, is frequently called red blood, equally information technology looks bright red. Blood that has returned from the body back to the heart does non have much oxygen, and is ofttimes called blue blood because it has a darker blue colour.
Walls in the heart keep the red and blue claret split, and valves (similar 1-way doors) continue the claret flowing in the right direction.
What causes a middle defect?
Sometimes there is a defect in the walls of the center (e.thou. a hole in the middle) or a problem with the valves (e.m. they may be besides narrow or completely blocked). This means either the blue and red blood gets mixed up, or the heart may not pump very well. When these problems occur, the body may non go as much oxygen equally normal.
Usually, a heart defect develops when the babe is still growing in the uterus. It is not acquired by anything the mother did during her pregnancy, and frequently doctors cannot tell why the defect has happened. Sometimes center bug are due to genetics (at that place is a family unit history of eye defects). Sometimes, certain illnesses in babyhood crusade impairment to the heart.
Children tin get issues with their heart after a viral infection (a virus). However, this is extremely rare.
When to meet a dr.
If your child has whatsoever of the symptoms of a centre defect, see your GP. Yous will exist referred to a paediatrician or paediatric cardiologist (children'southward heart specialist).
In that location are several tests performed to diagnose center defects, most of which are elementary, quick and painless:
- Chest 10-ray - a simple and quick 10-ray of the chest.
- ECG (an electrocardiogram) - wires are attached with sticky dots on the skin of the chest, arms and legs. The wires tape the electrical activity of the centre. It is very quick and your child won't feel anything more the sticky dots. Your child must lie quite all the same for about a minute, which can be tricky as pocket-size children tend to wriggle around.
- Ultrasound scan (an echocardiogram, or an echo) - a handheld scanner is placed on the chest and stomach and gives a movie of the heart on a TV monitor. Your child will experience some pressure as the scanner is pushed quite firmly. It is non painful but may be a bit uncomfortable.
Because your kid must lie very still for these tests, sometimes they are given some sedation (medicine sedation to make them feel sleepy). This is usually a liquid they potable or a small squirt given up the olfactory organ past syringe. There are no needles involved.
Treatment for eye defects
The treatment for your kid's middle defect volition depend on the crusade of the trouble. Most heart defects resolve past themselves over time, and some tin can be fixed with medicine. Sometimes surgery or other procedures may be needed. In some cases, your kid may demand a combination of treatments.
Medicine
For some centre problems, children can take medicine that can exist stopped once the problem has improved. Sometimes medicines need to be taken for many years, or even for the child's whole life.
Surgery
Eye surgery can provide a life-long cure for some heart conditions. A heart surgeon will discuss the risks and benefits with you in detail. Sometimes, surgery may be delayed until your child is older and stronger, which means they are able to tolerate the surgery better. Depending on your child's condition, multiple operations may be needed.
In very rare cases where surgery, procedures or medicine does not help, a child may demand a heart transplant.
Other procedures
Some procedures involve putting a thin tube, called a catheter, through the veins to the heart to treat the heart defect. Your child is given a general anaesthetic for this procedure.
How volition a centre defect affect my child?
Some parents worry that their kid might die suddenly. Fortunately, this is extremely rare for children. Most children with eye problems are successfully treated, and many live an agile and healthy life.
It is understandable to feel very protective of your child if they take a heart problem. Yet many children tin can exist independent, play competitive sports and exercise almost all of the things that other children do with very few restrictions. Check with your physician about what level of physical activity is safety for your child.
If your child's childcare heart, kindergarten or school is concerned near your child taking office in regular activities, or you are given conflicting communication past another health professional, talk to your child's cardiologist and inquire for a letter nigh what your child can or cannot do.
Follow-up
Afterwards your child has been treated for their heart defect, they will have regular checks with their cardiologist and/or paediatrician. For problems non related to their eye, they can continue to see their regular GP. If you take are worried about your child, speak to your child's GP, paediatrician or cardiologist.
Key points to recall
- Heart problems are quite common in children (about one in 100).
- Handling for heart defects depends on the cause of the problem, and may include medicines, surgery or other medical procedures.
- Children with small-scale heart problems frequently live long and normal lives without treatment.
- Children who need treatment often lead normal lives with piffling or no restrictions to what they can exercise.
For more data
- The Royal Children'southward Hospital Cardiology Department
- Be Positive: A child'south guide to infirmary: ECG
- Exist Positive: A child'southward guide to infirmary: Echocardiogram
- Be Positive: A child's guide to hospital: X-ray – chest
- HeartKids
- Cardiac Matters
- See your GP or cardiologist.
Common questions our doctors are asked
Does a hole in the heart always need surgery?
When they are in their mother's womb, babies have blood coming from the umbilical cord and into their eye through a small pigsty, which ordinarily closes upwardly by the time they are born. For some babies, the pigsty remains open, simply it closes soon later birth, and surgery is non needed. In some children, if the pigsty doesn't shut by itself past a certain historic period, they will need surgery to repair the hole.
What is a heart murmur?
A heart murmur is an extra 'whooshing' audio heard by a doctor or nurse when listening to the heart with a stethoscope. It is caused by turbulence of the blood flowing through the heart. Some heart murmurs are the result of a middle defect, but usually murmurs are not due to any heart problem at all – these are called 'innocent murmurs'. Many good for you children take innocent murmurs, which are often detected when a child is unwell with a fever. This is considering the middle works harder when the body temperature is high, and the murmur is louder.
Does the echo expose my child to radiation?
No. An echo exam involves an ultrasound, like to what about mothers have during their pregnancy to check the growing foetus. Ultrasounds do not involve any radiations and they are totally safety, painless and quick.
Developed by The Purple Children's Hospital Cardiology department. We admit the input of RCH consumers and carers.
Reviewed May 2018.
Kids Health Info is supported by The Royal Children's Hospital Foundation. To donate, visit www.rchfoundation.org.au.
Source: https://www.rch.org.au/kidsinfo/fact_sheets/Heart_problems_in_children/
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