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Showing posts from March, 2020

Surgical and Non-Surgical Treatments for Congenital Heart Disease in Infants

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-Contributed by Navaneeth R Congenital heart disease (CHD) refers to structural and functional abnormalities in the heart present at birth. It is one of the most frequently diagnosed congenital disorders, affecting nearly 1.3% of newborns worldwide. The children born with CHD face significant challenges as the conditions often pose substantial risk for their life. The advancements in the medical field have enabled us to effectively manage these children, ensure their survival and improve their quality of life as they grow up.  Congenital heart defects in infants include numerous disorders ranging from minor defects to complex, challenging conditions. While some of these which are minor resolve spontaneously on their own, others require surgical or non-surgical interventions. Even for those who do not require any treatment, long term monitoring and routine cardiac evaluation is a must. Non-Surgical Treatment for CHD All patients with CHD do not require open heart surgeries. Some c...

What treatments are available for Congenital Heart Disease and how we as a society can help the underprivileged to afford this treatment?

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The birth of a child often brings happiness in the lives of parents as well as his near and dear ones, but this is not true for every child. This happiness is often taken away from the parents whose children are born with some birth defects such as Congenital Heart Disease (CHD).CHD is a common type of birth defect that affects the structure of a baby’s heart and how it functions. Congenital Heart Disease may vary from mild to severe and according to Centers For Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), about 1 in every 4 babies born with a heart defect has a critical congenital heart defect. The kids who suffer from a critical CHD need surgery or other procedures in the first year of life.  However, one good thing related to this disease is that it can be treated, and that also in most cases for life. Sometimes the defect is diagnosed during pregnancy and it becomes easy for the doctors to treat the child. Over the past few years, the treatments and follow-up care for CHD hav...