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Showing posts from February, 2018

Understanding Congenital Heart Disease: Causes, Symptoms, and Treatments

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Congenital heart defects refer to defects in the heart that children are born with. These are one of the most common congenital defects globally. In India too, 200,000+ children are born with a congenital heart defect (CHD). These are the numbers of the cases that are recorded – there maybe many more which go undiagnosed and hence untreated. Only 25 per cent of the children diagnosed with a congenital heart defect are able to get the required treatment. A lack of awareness and access to resources are the biggest challenges in children getting timely treatment. Organisations like Genesis Foundation, a congenital heart foundation India has been taking steps to both build awareness and provide financial treatment to those who cannot afford the cost of treatment. The treatment for CHD is expensive and families that do not earn enough to meet their daily needs have to depend on funds they receive as a congenital heart disease donation to support the treatment. Symptoms of Congenital Heart

Common Heart Defects in Children

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Save Little Hearts, Genesis Foundation A congenital heart defect is a problem found in the heart's structure when a baby is born. Heart defects can range from mild to severe. It can be frightening for parents to find out that their child has a congenital heart defect. However, congenital disease has become relatively common, affecting almost 1 in every 100 newborns. Advanced medical science and diagnostic research provides very detailed information regarding structural heart abnormalities.  At least 8 out of every 1,000 infants born each year are detected with a heart defect. Common Heart Defects Some common types of congenital heart defects, that can affect any part of the heart or its surrounding structures, are mentioned below: Aortic Stenosis: Aortic stenosis is one of the most common and most serious valve disease problems. Aortic stenosis leads to narrowing of the aortic valve opening. It restricts the blood flow from the left ventricle to the aorta. It al