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Written By: Editorial Team | Updated : February 14, 2019 3:22 PM IST
It is important to diagnose heart disease in children as soon as possible ©Shutterstock
Today is the 86th birth anniversary of the Bollywood legend Madhubala. Madhubala, who did several memorable films, ruled Bollywood for many years. The talented and beautiful actress sadly died young, at the age of 36. She was reportedly suffering from ventricular septal defect (VSD), also known as a hole in the heart, which is a congenital heart defect. In Madhubala's case, this was detected much later in her life. Madhubala succumbed to the illness and died in 1969. Did you know that about 1 in 100 children have heart disease? Unlike the adults, children s heart disease is because the heart did not develop in a normal manner when the baby was inside the mother. It is important to diagnose heart disease in children as soon as possible. An undiagnosed heart defect can progress and become inoperable after some months or years, depending on the kind of defect. Also, an uncorrected defect stunts the child s growth in many ways.
Detection of Congenital Heart Defect
"The earliest a heart defect can be picked up is by an Ultrasound, done before birth, ideally at 18-22weeks of pregnancy. This is called Fetal Echo and is similar to the routine Ultrasound done for pregnant women, except that the Pediatric Cardiologist zooms on the heart and its vessels. Early diagnosis of heart defects in children should be followed up by early intervention," says Dr Swati Garekar, Consultant Pediatric Cardiology, Fortis Hospital, Mulund.
Dr Swati discusses some common misconceptions about heart disease in children:
ALL HOLES IN THE HEART CLOSE AS THE CHILD GROWS
This misconception has caused many children to become inoperable. Parents of the child keep on waiting for the hole to close when actually it will not. Waiting causes irreversible damage to the lung vessels; thus a child who could have had a healthy life (after getting operated) may be condemned to die young. Only certain kinds of holes in the heart may close on their own. A Pediatric Cardiologist is the best person to decide which hole in the heart may close on its own.
WE HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL THE BABY IS 10KG BEFORE WE CAN OPERATE
Most children with significant holes in their heart will never gain weight until they are operated. A child with a large hole in the heart who weighs 4kg at 5months, will probably never be 10kg. The bigger argument against the 10kg myth is that the weight does not make a difference to the Pediatric Heart Surgeon. He or she can operate on a 2kg baby if the need arises.
A HOLE CAN BE CLOSED BY MEDICINES
No hole in the heart can be closed by any medicine.
MY BABY HAS A HOLE IN THE HEART. I SHOULD MAKE SURE THAT SHE DOES NOT CRY OR ELSE IT WILL HURT HER
A hole in the heart or most other heart diseases in children do not cause any pain to the baby.
MY SON HAS A HOLE IN THE HEART. I DON T AGREE WITH THE CARDIOLOGIST WHO HAS RECOMMENDED SURGERY FOR IT, AS MY SON IS FIT AND APPEARS TO BE IN GOOD HEALTH
A hole in the heart causes the heart to work to work harder, and the heart also becomes bigger. These changes, in the early stages, do not cause any symptoms but can be easily seen on the Echocardiogram. These changes indicate that surgery is advisable sooner rather than later. Also, certain holes that are small, may still need to be closed because they are hurting the nearby valves and may cause irreversible damage to them.
MY GRAND-DAUGHTER HAS A HEART DEFECT. THE CARDIOLOGIST SAYS SHE WILL BE FINE AFTER SURGERY. BUT I THINK SHE WILL BE A HEART PATIENT HER ENTIRE LIFE. SHE won't BE ABLE TO RUN, PLAY AND DO OTHER NORMAL THINGS IN CHILDHOOD
The most common kinds of heart defects, if corrected in time, do not affect life after surgery. While it is essential to get periodically checked, life is normal, just like any other child. Heart disease in children is NOT the same as having a heart attack surgery in an adult.
MY TODDLER HAS RECENTLY UNDERGONE HEART SURGERY FOR A HOLE IN THE HEART. I HAVE TO MAKE SURE I DON T GIVE HER ANY BUTTER OR OIL OR PANEER IN HER DIET
Just like any other toddler, children operated for heart defects need normal amounts of fat in the diet that is essential for the growth of their brains and bodies.
I MUST HAVE DONE SOMETHING WRONG IN MY PREGNANCY. THAT S WHY MY BABY HAS A HEART DEFECT
The heart is formed by the end of the 2nd month of pregnancy. A lot of research has been done (and is ongoing) on why heart defects occur. However, little seems to be in control of the pregnant woman. Certainly, nothing she does after the 2nd month of pregnancy affects the formation of the baby s heart as it is already formed by then. It is best to get a Fetal Echocardiogram performed at 4.5 to 5 months, to detect major heart defects.
