Symptoms of congenital heart disease in newborns

Congenital heart disease is a malformed heart disease caused by abnormal cardiovascular development during the mother's pregnancy. In my country, congenital heart disease is the most common type of cardiovascular disease in children, with an incidence rate of about 7% to 8% of live births, or about 1 in 11 births. The people who are probably most shocked to hear this number are mothers. So what are the symptoms of congenital heart disease in newborns? How can we accurately determine whether a child has congenital heart disease?

Common congenital heart diseases are divided into two categories: non-cyanotic and cyanotic.

1. Non-cyanotic congenital heart disease includes patent ductus arteriosus, ventricular septal defect, atrial septal defect, etc. Children with these diseases usually do not show cyanosis, so it is called "non-cyanotic congenital heart disease"; but children may show cyanosis when they cry violently or suffer from pneumonia, heart failure and late-stage heart disease, so it is also called "latent cyanotic congenital heart disease."

(1) The symptoms of children with patent ductus arteriosus are related to the size and volume of blood shunt of the unclosed ductus between the pulmonary artery and the aorta. If the catheter diameter is not large, it may not cause any symptoms, and only a heart murmur may be found during an occasional physical examination. If the diameter of the catheter is large, the child is prone to repeated colds or lung infections, is easily fatigued, sweats a lot, develops slowly, and is pale and thin. At the same time, the heart may be enlarged, the left chest may bulge, and a murmur may be heard and a tremor may be felt between the 1st and 2nd ribs on the left side of the left sternum.

(2) The early onset and severity of symptoms in children with ventricular septal defect depend on the size of the left and right ventricular septal defects. Small defects may be asymptomatic; medium-sized defects often cause fatigue, palpitations during exercise, and susceptibility to respiratory infections; large defects hinder the child's development and cause symptoms such as weight loss, rapid breathing, and sweating. Children are often prone to pneumonia and heart failure (increased heart rate, rapid breathing, enlarged liver, etc.). Typically, a loud, rough systolic murmur can be heard between the 3rd and 4th intercostal spaces below the sternum, and a thrill can be felt.

(3) Children with atrial septal defect have fewer symptoms, and many of them are not discovered until they have a physical examination before entering kindergarten or school. However, children with larger defects and larger blood shunting volume may also have obvious symptoms, such as shortness of breath (especially after crying and feeding), poor development, thinness, thin and pale skin, small bones, and inactivity.

2. Tetralogy of Fallot is the most common cyanotic congenital heart disease. The prominent symptom of the child is the early appearance of cyanosis of the whole body, especially the lips, fingers, toes, earlobes, and oral mucosa. If cyanosis persists for more than 6 months, the fingertips and toes may become thicker and wider (called clubbing), and breathing may become rapid and difficult. In severe cases, there may be an attack of hypoxia, which is manifested by sudden acceleration and deepening of breathing and worsening of cyanosis. If it lasts for a long time, the patient may become unconscious, have convulsions, or even die. Older children become short of breath when walking or moving, and often squat for a while before standing up and walking again. However, examination shows no bulge in the chest and no enlargement of the heart. There may be symptoms such as headache, irritability, anorexia, etc. There may also be vascular embolism phenomena such as hemoptysis and cerebral stroke. If these manifestations occur, it usually indicates that the disease is in the late stage.

Every child is born with the earnest hopes of the mother and even the whole family. Every mother hopes that her child will be safe and healthy. The above is how to identify the symptoms of congenital heart disease in newborns. Now it can be treated with advanced medical means. Children who have been confirmed to be sick should try to keep quiet, drink plenty of water, ensure sleep quality, and not add any burden to the heart. If any abnormalities are found in the child, be sure to go to the hospital for examination and treatment in time to avoid missing the best time for surgery.