Congenital Heart Conditions In Children

the heart is a complex organ made of muscle and is compromised of four chambers including a right and left atrium and corresponding ventricles. the function of the heart is to pump oxygen rich blood throughout the body while receiving blood and sending it to the lungs to be re oxygenated then repeating the cycle. all of the body's different tissues require this oxygen rich blood to perform their functions. however, there are many problems that can affect the function of the heart. some of these problems are congenital meaning present at birth. congenital heart defects are the most common heart condition in children.

patent ductous arteriousus is a normal fetal artery that connects the aorta and pulmonary artery. normally during premature babies this artery fails to close and if large enough can cause many problems. the aorta will be pumping extra blood into the lungs and this can cause the heart and lungs to become congested. if the artery is small enough it wont be much of a concern other than when auscultated a murmur will be present. if the vessel is larger the child may breathe more rapidly than normal and have high blood pressure. in this case a small catheter would be used to navigate through the vessels to insert a plug in the duct, or the chest may have to be opened and the vessel ligated using …show more content…
this is where there is a hole in between the two chambers. this normally will close up, but if the hole is larger it will allow blood to back flow in the right atrium and this can cause the pulmonary arteries to work harder than they should. in adults the hole may close but not completetly this is called a patent foramen ovale or PFO. surgery would be needed to close larger defects. after surgery the cardiologist may restrict the child's activities for a short while but then will be abke to resume as normal. depending on how severe of the repair the cardiologist may wish to follow up