Save your child by being cautious about the symptoms of congenital heart defects

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As a measure of containing the spread of COVID-19 virus, many countries including India have imposed a nation-wide lockdown. The pandemic has only worsened the situation for a developing country like ours that has already been fighting its non-communicable disease burden for years. Take, for instance, congenital heart defects that are diagnosed in infants at the time of birth. In these trying times, worry and anxiety are often present in everyone, but for pregnant women and new parents, managing a child with congenital heart defects during the lockdown, can pose unique challenges.

They are thrusted into a world of unknowns and want to do everything to keep their new-born away from getting infected by the deadly virus. Therefore, if a mother notices symptoms such as rapid heartbeat, swelling in the legs, stomach or around the eyes, extreme tiredness and fatigue, difficulty in taking feed or a blue tinge to the skin in her newborn during the lockdown, it is advisable to contact a pediatric cardiologist through telemedicine without delay. The specialist can virtually suggest measures that can be followed until parents can take their child to the hospital for diagnosis. Know everything about CHD from Dr.Mahua Roy, Pediatric Cardiology, Rabindranath Tagore International Institute of Cardiac Science, Kolkata.

Understanding congenital heart defects

No obvious cause is known of congenital heart disease. However, some potential reasons are known for the increase in the risk of the condition. These include down’s syndrome which is a genetic disorder that affects a baby’s physical development and the mother having certain infections or taking medicines during pregnancy. 

Congenital means from birth. When a baby’s heart or blood vessels develop abnormally before birth, congenital heart defects occur. Some of the common congenital heart defects include ventricular septal defect (VSD), Atrial septal defect (ASD) and pulmonary atresia, among others.  

If not repaired, it leads to high blood pressure in the lungs, heart failure, VSD, ASD, Patent ductus arteriosus (PDA), and tetralogy of Fallot (TOF). While suffering from VSD, a hole forms between the ventricles in utero. This causes more blood to be pumped through the heart and lungs making the organs work harder than usual.  

ASD is a condition in which there is a hole between the two upper chambers of the heart. this causes abnormal blood flow through the heart. Some infants suffering from ASD may have no symptoms and appear healthy, however, if the hole is large it will permit more amount of blood to pass to the right side, making the symptoms visible. 

Aortic valve stenosis and pulmonary valve stenosis are two common congenital heart problems that affect valves. Both have a problem of stenosis which is a narrowed opening in the heart valve. When the valve does not open fully, over time this can damage heart muscle. 

Severe heart defects are usually diagnosed right after birth and in other cases, the child might not show any symptom. They are often not diagnosed until the patient is older or sometimes even in adulthood. Defects like ASD, VSD and PDA may close on their in few years after the child is born, if it does not happen and the defect is small, it will still not be treated. If the hole is large, then it will require medical intervention. For valve related problems, treatment is subjected to the severity of obstruction.  

Treating heart defects with advanced technology 

For decades, open-heart surgeries were used to treat congenital heart defects. But with the onslaught of technology and innovation, we now have minimally invasive procedures that involve less complication and are free from risks related to bypass and general anesthesia. 

Due to advancements in medical intervention, heart conditions under congenital heart defects can now be diagnosed by a simple test called echocardiography. It is a non-invasive test that enables the doctor to see the child’s heart in motion and identity abnormalities. 

For conditions like aortic valve stenosis and pulmonary valve stenosis, a procedure called balloon valvuloplasty is recommended as a treatment option. During the procedure, the catheter is passed through the groin to the site of the narrowed valve. A balloon is attached to the catheter which is inflated, and it helps to stretch or widen the valve. This helps to relieve any blockage in the flow of blood and restore the normal functioning of the heart valve allowing adequate blood flow through the organ. New age devices such as occluders are used to close large heart defects such as ASD, VSD & PDA without surgically opening the chest and heart. 

Such procedures do not require an incision, so no permanent scar on the chest. We come from a country where only one in 10 children with a congenital heart defect receives optimal care. Potential reasons being the limited number of pediatric heart care programs and uneven geographic access to these services. Hence, there is a dire need of spreading awareness among the masses about the new treatment options available and ensuring it is accessible to all.