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Information overload affects us everyday of our lives. This wealth of information can be a benefit as well as a curse. You need to be fully informed to raise children and keep them healthy. Our website can give you the information you need. |
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What is a heart murmur? A heart murmur is an unusual sound heard while listening to the heart caused by alteration in the flow of blood through the heart. Murmurs can be a sign of heart problems or they can be innocent, having no effect on the function of the heart and bloodstream. What is a heart arrhythmia? An arrhythmia is any variation from the normal rhythm of the heartbeat. What is bradycardia? Bradycardia is an abnormally slow heart rate. The lower limits of normal vary according to the age of the child. What is a ventricular septal defect? A ventricular septal defect (VSD) is a hole between the two larger lower pumping chambers of the heart. When this hole is large, oxygen-rich blood that is ready to be sent to the body may be forced to the other side of the heart and pumped back into the lungs to be oxygenated again. This is very inefficient. It may cause the heart to work too hard. Many small VSDs will close on their own. Others will need to be surgically closed. |
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What’s an atrial septal defect? An atrial septal defect (ASD) occurs when there is a hole between the two smaller upper pumping chambers of the heart. The wall or septum between the small chambers does not close when the heart is developing. When this hole is a large enough, oxygen-rich blood leaks from the heart's left side back to the right side. This blood is then pumped to the lungs, despite already having been refreshed with oxygen. This is inefficient. Many people with ASDs will have fewer symptoms when young. As they grow older, symptoms may appear. ASDs occur in 4 out of 100,000 people. |
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What is coarctation of the aorta? Coarctation is a narrowing of the aorta, the major blood vessel that carries oxygen-rich blood out of the heart to the rest of the body. The presenting symptoms depend on the location of the narrowing. Your provider may recognize it by noting the difference in blood pressures between the arms and the legs. It is often recognized by disparate circulation between the upper and lower body. |
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What is a functional heart murmur? Functional heart murmurs are occasionally heard in healthy children with structurally normal hearts. They are caused by turbulent blood flow either within the heart or in the major vessels that enter and exit the heart. Functional murmurs are synonymous with “innocent” murmurs. What is an EEG? The pumping of the heart in a coordinated manner is caused by an electrical pulse running through the heart muscle. This can be measured with an electrocardiogram, or EKG, which is performed by placing sticky electrodes on the chest, arms and legs. It can give information about the electrical timing of the heart, its size, and its function. An EKG may show changes consistent with injury or inflammation. What is myocarditis? Myocarditis is an inflammatory condition of the heart muscle. Though it can have many causes, it is most often associated with a viral infection. What is hypertension or high blood pressure? Hypertension refers to an elevation of measured blood pressure. Blood pressure is measured by a blood pressure cuff (sphygmomanometer). This involves listening for the return of blood flow after the cuff is inflated then deflated around an arm or leg. Hypertension is generally used to refer to a blood pressure beyond the normal range for age. The normal blood pressure varies throughout childhood with age, gender and height. What does congenital heart disease mean? The term congenital heart disease is usually used to describe problems with the heart structure and function that are present at birth. Not all types of congenital heart disease have symptoms at birth. The term is used to differentiate from acquired heart disease, which develops after birth. What is WPW (Wolfe-Parkinson-White Syndrome)? Wolfe-Parkinson White Syndrome (WPW) is a condition where the path of electrical conduction in the heart is wrong. In WPW, this electrical pulse skips the atrioventricular (AV) node. The AV node is the gatekeeper of the heart, allowing electrical pulses to enter the large chambers of the heart from the small chambers. Most of the time, WPW has no effect on the heart beating. However, at times there can be an abnormal electrical signal which causes the heart to race. This may cause shortness of breath, lightheadedness and even loss of consciousness. What is syncope? Syncope is more commonly known as fainting or passing out. It is a loss of consciousness related to decreased blood flow to the brain. It is a common problem, accounting for three percent of emergency room visits. It occurs most often when blood pressure is too low (hypotension) and the heart does not pump a normal supply of oxygen to the brain. This can occur when getting out of the shower, or standing in a hot room or rising quickly after being seated for a long time. Syncope is different from loss of consciousness (which is caused by an electrical malfunction of the brain, such as a seizure). Syncope may be caused by emotional stress, pain, pooling of blood in the legs due to sudden changes in body position, overheating, dehydration, heavy sweating and exhaustion. Some types of syncope might indicate a more severe underlying problem:
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