Hridayapoorvam: All you need to know about cardiac diseases in infants

Pediatric cardiology experts of the Madras Medical Mission, which partnered with Malayala Manorama for the Hridayapoorvam mission, discussed the genetic heart diseases of newborns recently in Kottayam. The discussion was held as part of events to commemorate the silver jubilee of the Hridayapoorvam heart care project initiative. Dr Sreeja Pavithran, Dr Ravi Agarwal and Dr Sivakumar K participated in the discussion. A peek into the key takeaways of the discussion.

All medical reviews undertaken while a woman is pregnant are important, the doctors said. These inspections help ascertain the health of the mother and the yet-to-be-born child. A Fetal Echocardiography, done on the fifth month of pregnancy, will reveal any cardiac issues in the child. The issues are spotted by examining the child's heartbeats in the womb. Diseases and other issues can also be noted by examining the child's oxygen level.

Symptoms after birth
After birth too, there are many symptoms to detect any cardiac diseases in kids. The discrepancy in oxygen levels, bluish tinge in the tongue and lips and heartbeats are indicators. Detection of frequent ailments in kids fed on breast milk and the prolonged period taken to be cured are also vital indicators. As fertility issues are on the rise, kids born of In vitro fertilization (IVF) are also considered more prone to heart diseases, studies reveal, according to Dr Sreeja. After the kid grows, symptoms including a difficulty to walk, palpitation, a bluish tinge that envelops the body as the child cries, are also to be noted.

Lifestyle issues
Earlier lifestyle diseases were linked to adults only, but now, children are also victims. Obesity among kids is not to be dismissed mildly. Children’s health should also be boosted by healthy food, curbing wanton use of mobile phones and playing in fresh air, according to Dr Sreeja. Kids do not always inherit cardiac diseases. Dr Ravi Agarwal informed that heart surgeries are performed only if necessary, and the strength of the child does not dictate these. According to Dr Agarwal, children detected with heart diseases should also be subject to health checkups, and this should not be skipped.