What to do if your baby has a hole in the heart

The heart is a very important organ in the human body. If there is a problem with the heart, the person's health will be affected to a certain extent. For the baby, it is even a fatal blow. So what should we do if the baby has a hole in the heart? Although there is no definite answer to this question, there are some guiding suggestions and opinions. Let us now find out what to do if a baby has a hole in the heart?

(1) Patent foramen ovale

The foramen ovale is a "small door" between the left and right atria during fetal development. Blood from the umbilical cord also enters the left heart cavity of the fetus through this channel, and is then distributed throughout the body to provide the fetus with the oxygen and nutrients needed for development.

As the baby cries for the first time at birth, the pressure in the left atrium increases, and this "little door" will functionally close under the action of pressure, but sometimes this "little door" will still open (that is, a small amount of blood passes through), and it will usually be completely closed in an anatomical sense within 1 year old. Therefore, many babies (infants) will be told that they have a patent foramen ovale after undergoing cardiac ultrasound. This is the most common "small hole".

Therefore, patent foramen ovale in infancy is a normal physiological phenomenon, not a congenital heart disease, and does not require surgical treatment. Therefore, mothers do not need to worry. They can have a cardiac ultrasound examination again at the age of one year to determine whether the foramen ovale is closed.

(2) Atrial septal defect

It is a common congenital heart disease.

As the name suggests, the "wall" between the two atria (i.e. the atrial septum) did not grow well during the fetal period, and there is a "hole" on the atrial septum. The blood from the left atrium goes to the right atrium through this defect.

If the atrial septum is small (usually less than 3mm), many babies can close naturally within 3 months without surgical treatment. However, some larger defects (usually larger than 8mm) will affect the blood supply for the baby's growth and development, resulting in symptoms of malnutrition, shortness of breath and recurrent respiratory tract infections, which need to be solved through surgery.

(3) Ventricular septal defect

It is also a common congenital heart disease.

It is caused by the ventricular septum not growing well during the fetal period, and the blood from the left ventricle goes to the right ventricle through the defect.

Similar to the atrial septum, small ventricular septal defects also have the possibility of closing on their own, usually within 1 year of age. Medium-sized ventricular septal defects, if without clinical symptoms (such as recurrent respiratory tract infections, malnutrition, heart failure, etc.), can also be followed up in the outpatient clinic first, with regular cardiac ultrasound examinations. If the ventricular septal defect is large or the above symptoms occur, surgical intervention is required. 3. Under what circumstances do you need to go to the hospital to actively seek medical help?

(1) If the baby's face turns purple when crying, the baby has shortness of breath, difficulty feeding, etc., and the doctor has told the baby that there is a murmur during heart auscultation, there may be congenital heart disease and the baby needs to be taken to the hospital for a definitive diagnosis.

(2) If you are informed that your baby may have congenital heart disease and that during the process of raising your baby, the baby experiences feeding difficulties, malnutrition, repeated respiratory tract infections (such as repeated pneumonia), shortness of breath, excessive sweating, etc., your baby may have developed heart failure and needs to be taken to the hospital for treatment in a timely manner and receive surgical treatment if necessary.

(3) There are also some complex congenital heart diseases, such as tetralogy of Fallot, which cannot be simply regarded as "small holes". Patients should actively seek help from doctors at an early stage to avoid missing the best time for surgery.

There are many situations in which a baby has a hole in the heart. First of all, we should see whether it is congenital or acquired. Secondly, there are many other issues that need to be paid attention to. This shows the importance of physical examination. No matter at which stage of the baby's life, it is best for parents to take the appropriate time to take the baby to a regular hospital for a detailed examination.