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Pediatric cardiology

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Pediatric cardiology is the field where cardiologists aim to keep pregnant women out of any risk of heart attack or coronary heart disease. They also treat infants and teenagers who suffer from congenital heart defects or genetic disorders that might have occurred during pregnancy. Women who suffer from diabetes or high blood pressure before their pregnancy have a higher risk of having a heart attack or heart disease. Since the fetus's heart begins to form shortly after conception, the heart is most likely to get affected first. Women with gestational diabetes or hypertension should co-operate closely with their pediatrician or pediatric cardiologist to prevent an episode of a heart attack. Pediatric cardiologists diagnose congenital diseases, arrhythmias, mental disorders, cancer, etc.

What Kind Of Disorders Does A Pediatric Cardiologist Treat?

The disorders treated by pediatric cardiologists are :-

  • Congenital heart defects(genetic) - Mutations in the genes causing disorders like Turner's syndrome, holt-Oram syndrome, DiGeorge syndrome, Noonan syndrome, Alagille syndrome.
  • Congenital heart defects(environmental) - disorders in the infant caused due to unhealthy practices carried out by the mother like alcohol consumption, smoking, antidepressants, and so on.
  • Arrhythmias - this is referred to irregular heartbeats(the heart is either beating too fast or too slow).

Some congenital heart defects include:-

  • Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome(Hypoplasia) - is a medical condition where the left side of the fetus's heart is underdeveloped. In this syndrome, the infant is very ill and has blue skin color due to the inability of the heart to pump and transfer blood to the body.
  • Coarctation of the Aorta - this is a condition where the aorta, the blood vessel which is responsible for transporting blood to all organs of the body is very narrow. This might have been due to the underdevelopment of the aorta while the formation of other organs in the fetus's body.
  • Ventricular Septal Defect - a condition in which a hole develops in the wall that separates the lower chambers of the heart(ventricles).
  • Pulmonary Atresia - a condition where the pulmonary valve, the valve responsible for carrying deoxygenated blood from the heart to the lungs is not formed at all.
  • Ventricular Outflow Tract Obstruction - this is a condition where the arteries or ventricles are underdeveloped or abnormally narrow. Narrowing of the arteries causes hypertension.
  • Cyanotic defects - caused due to cyanosis, discoloration of the skin(the skin tunes bluish-gray due to lack of oxygen in the body)
  • Tetralogy of Fallot - a congenital disorder comprising of four cardiac defects, pulmonary stenosis(obstruction of blood flow from the lower right heart chamber to the pulmonary artery), ventricular septal defect, right ventricular hypertrophy, overriding aorta.
  • Down Syndrome - a genetic disorder caused due to the presence of a third copy of a chromosome(21). Symptoms include intellectual disability, defects in the mitral valve but they have a lower risk of suffering from a heart attack there have been fewer cases of hardening of arteries in their hearts.
  • Turner Syndrome - a genetic disorder caused due to a missing X chromosome. Women with Turner syndrome are unable to have children during adulthood. Symptoms include swollen hands and legs during birth, low hairline, etc.
  • Holt-Oram Syndrome - a genetic disorder that affects the bones and causes heart problems.
Why Is A Pediatric Cardiologist Needed?
There might be a need for you to see a pediatric cardiologist because:-
  • There can be a possibility that your child is suffering from a congenital heart defect because of the genes that the child shares.
  • If you are suffering from maternal illness like diabetes, there your child is most likely to acquire this condition in the future. So to prevent this, you should see a pediatric cardiologist.
  • If your child has been diagnosed with the possibility of a heart defect, then it should not be taken lightly. The type of heart defect children suffer from is different from an adult. They suffer more severely since their body is not as developed as an adult body. Therefore, a pediatric cardiologist is an ideal person a parent should go to since they are trained to diagnose heart problems that majorly affect children and adolescents.

A pediatric cardiologist is an individual who has been trained to treat children who are suffering from heart defects. They have spent years working with skilled pediatricians, pediatric heart surgeons, pediatric nurses, and physical therapists to provide intensive care to children and cater to their needs. So, if your doctor recommends you or your child to see a pediatric cardiologist, you should be assured that you or your child will be getting a proper consultation or treatment

Treatment Provided By A Pediatric Cardiologist
Treatments include;
  • Installation of an Artificial Pacemaker - this device generates electric impulses by the electrodes present in the device that makes the lower and upper heart chambers contract to pump blood. This device regulates the normal function of the electrical system of the heart. Its main purpose is to restore the normal rate of the heart which was either very slow or very fast earlier due to a defect in the natural pacemaker of the heart.
  • Intra-aortic balloon pump - used in percutaneous coronary angioplasty. It is done by placing a catheter through the blood vessel into the heart. The balloon is placed at the tip of the catheter. When it is blown, it forces the valve to open. The balloon valvuloplasty is done in mitral, aortic, or pulmonary valves.
  • Ventricular assist device - this device replaces the failing heart.
  • Heart valve replacement - the valve is replaced either surgically in case of surgical aortic valve replacement or transcatheter aortic valve replacement where a catheter is used to replace the valve.
  • Cardiac Imaging - Techniques of cardiac imaging like echocardiography, a device called a transducer is placed on the top of the chest and ultrasonic waves are sent to the heart bounce off and show the live image of the heart, using a monitor. Intravascular ultrasound uses a catheter instead of a transducer to capture the images of coronary arteries. This helps the specialists to see whether the blood flow is obstructed or not. Coronary angiography also uses a catheter but before inserting it in the body through wrists or legs, it injects a dye into the bloodstream to create X-ray images of the coronary arteries.
  • Medications - medicines like Enalapril are given to reduce blood pressure or Warfarin is given to prevent blood from clotting.

The pediatric cardiology team of Dr. Swapnil Mate's Cardiology Clinic includes a group of experienced pediatric cardiac surgeons and assisting surgeons, cardiologists, physical therapists, nutritionists, geneticists, child-life specialists, and a group of pathologists who run by tests and give the proper cause of diseases and helps in identifying the disorders in children. The team consults with other specialists for proper examination. Together, they provide extensive care to mothers and children provide services that cater to their needs.

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