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‘With proper care, children with heart defects can live normal lives’

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By Dr. Prem Alva, MD (Paed), FIPC

Every year in our country, more than 1,50,000 children are born with heart diseases. For every 1000 babies born, eight will have heart defects and around half of these babies will require treatment by the first year of life. Here are answers to some of the common questions on the topic:

Why do some children get heart diseases at birth?

The most common cause of heart defects at birth is genetic. Also, if a family member has a heart defect at birth, then the next child has around a 10% chance of being born with a defect in the heart. If the mother takes certain medications without consulting the doctor, then it can affect the development of the heart. Another cause is if the mother develops certain types of infections, it can lead to defects in the heart.

Can heart defects at birth be treated?

Yes. In the current scenario, more than 90% of heart defects at birth can be treated with a good success rate. Some babies with serious heart defects may require surgery as early as the first week or first month of life.

Do all children with heart defects need surgery?

No. Not all children with heart defects need surgery. If the heart defect is a minor one or if the child does not have any symptoms and the heart function, size and pressure are normal, then they may not require surgery. Also, some small defects may get resolved spontaneously by themselves.

Can holes in the heart be treated without surgery?

Yes. Many simple heart defects like holes in the heart or blocked valves can be treated without surgery. Just like an angiogram, a small prick is made in a blood vessel in the leg and a catheter (thin pipe) is passed into the heart. Through this, we put buttons in the heart to close the hole. Also, blocked heart valves can be treated with balloon techniques.

How long does this procedure take and how many days will the child need to be in the hospital?

The procedure takes an average of one hour and the child needs to be in the hospital for 2 days.

After heart surgery, can the children do activities like the others?

Yes. Within a few weeks of the surgery, children can start playing. They can go to school like everyone else. They can play most sports. Their studies will not be affected either in school or college. Girls can go on to be mothers and a majority can work and live like everybody else.

Can you tell us about your centre?

The exclusive paediatric cardiology department is available at the AJ Hospital and Research Center, Mangaluru. It is the only department in the Dakshina Kannada district with a paediatric cardiologist. We routinely do surgical and non-surgical treatment for children with heart defects.

How can children maintain a healthy heart for the future?

Children should take part in outdoor activities like sports, cycling or swimming. They should decrease the time spent on watching videos and playing games on mobile phones. Also, children should not be given junk food like chips, ice creams, burgers, pizzas etc. frequently. A good portion of vegetables should be consumed every day along with fruits of the season.

Dr. Prem Alva, MD (Paed), FIPC is an experienced paedeatric cardiologist and is currently a Consultant Paediatric Cardiologist at the A J Hospital & Research Centre inMangaluru.

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