The most common heart conditions that affect children include congenital heart defects, pediatric Cardiomyopathy and arrhythmia. Below you will find more information about each, including a summary of the condition, possible causes and signs and symptoms.
Congenital Heart Defect. A congenital heart defect is an abnormal development or defect in the heart present at birth, which, according to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, is the most common type of major birth defect in the United States, occurring in more than 30,000 newborns each year. In short, a baby’s heart begins to develop shortly after conception. During this development, structural defects can occur along the walls and within the valves, arteries and veins of the heart, causing a disruption of blood flow through the heart. This disruption can vary in severity, including slowing blood flow down, causing it to flow in the wrong direction or to the wrong place, and even causing blood flow to become blocked completely. Also, many types of congenital heart defects cause the heart to work harder than it should, weakening the heart muscle and resulting in possible heart failure.
Causes. Doctors do not know what causes congenital heart defects, although they believe heredity may be a factor. Likewise, children born with other birth defects are more likely to be born with a congenital heart defect. According to the NHLBI, other risk factors that occur during pregnancy include
- suffering from viral infections;
- having diabetes;
- taking some types of prescription or over–the–counter medications;
- repeated exposure to chemicals and/or x–rays; and/or
- the use of alcohol or street drugs.
Signs and symptoms. Doctors can detect congenital heart defects through the use of a fetal echocardiography that creates a picture of the baby’s heart using sound waves. Other possible signs include
- a murmur within the first few days or months of life;
- changes in skin coloring, usually to a gray or bluish tint;
- swelling in the legs, abdomen and around the eyes;
- shortness of breath;
- poor feeding; and/or
- little to no weight gain.
While some children may present with severe symptoms, others may have no symptoms at all.
Pediatric Cardiomyopathy. When a child suffers from pediatric Cardiomyopathy, he or she has a condition in which the heart muscle becomes enlarged and stiff or rigid. This condition causes the heart to become weak and it eventually loses the ability to pump blood effectively. In turn, this can lead to irregular heartbeats or heart failure.
Causes. While the cause of this disease remains unknown, certain factors may play a role in its development. They include
- a hereditary gene mutation;
- a possible viral infection that affects the heart;
- complications during pregnancy;
- exposure to toxins; and/or
- certain drugs.
Signs and symptoms. As cited by the NHLBI, some babies may never have symptoms, and the Cardiomyopathy may not be diagnosable until the child is suffering from heart failure. However, some do have symptoms that are very similar the congenital heart defect. They include
- excessive tiredness or weakness;
- shortness of breath;
- swelling in the legs, ankles, feet or abdomen;
- a heart murmur; and/or
- arrhythmia.
For more information on pediatric Cardiomyopathy, logon to the Children’s Cardiomyopathy Foundation Web site at www.childrenscardiomyopathy.org.
Arrhythmias. An arrhythmia is an irregular heartbeat. There are several different types of arrhythmias depending on whether they are fast or slow and how they affect the individual. An arrhythmia may be detectable at birth but will more than likely be diagnosed during a routine physical exam as the child ages.
Signs and symptoms. Some children will have no symptoms. Others may experience
- weakness or tiredness;
- heart palpitations;
- dizziness; and/or
- low blood pressure.