Whenever we talk about heart disease, we normally associate it with the elderly population. However, babies have heart disorders too, and many of them are born with congenital heart defects. According to Indian Paediatrics journal, the estimated number of children born with congenital heart disease in India is more than 200,000 per year. Of these, about one-fifth are likely to have a serious defect, requiring intervention in the first year of life itself.
Congenital Heart Defect (CHD) is the most frequently occurring congenital disorder and is responsible for 28% of all congenital birth defects. It occurs due to a defect in the formation of the heart. It is not always possible to determine the cause of congenital heart diseases.
Although most new-borns present with critical CHD exhibit the symptoms and are identified soon after the birth, some are not diagnosed until after they are discharged. Early diagnosis is extremely important because children with high risk CHD can die if not provided with the right intervention and the right time. Moreover, they might face difficulty in adulthood with uncorrected heart defects. This makes screening for CHD all the more crucial to identify such babies in the uterus or immediately after birth for a healthier life.
Treatment for CHD consists of either surgery or catheter procedures or a combination of the two depending on the type and severity of the heart defect. Unfortunately, for several reasons’ babies are diagnosed late and reach the hospital in a critical stage which increases complications.
Why does this happen?
While we do have cardiac centres across the country, they are either geographically concentrated or the advanced treatment modalities are not readily available in rural parts or raising money for child surgery is an impossible task for many.
Another hurdle is the lack of awareness about this disorder. If parents don’t know something like this can affect their child, how will they seek treatment for the same? We need to understand and talk about CHD.
What can you do about it?
Talk to people you know, for example your relatives, domestic help, your vegetable vendor and others you feel might not have an understanding about this. Encourage them to get screened during pregnancy and when they have delivered. As a community, talk about it in your peer group and organise talks about the same. You can become a part of the awareness drives and maybe help organise some in your locality.
While the problem of screening and diagnosis might get resolved by this, the next issue is raising money for child surgery. There are many families who cannot support such surgeries financially. Organizations like Genesis Foundation support the surgeries of these babies through its network of benefactors. It is connected to a group of hospitals and doctors across the country who reach out to them when such a case is identified. Part of the awareness drive is to raise money for child surgery and we encourage everyone to take part in this drive.
While CHD is not entirely preventable, with timely diagnosis and the right treatment, children with congenital heart defects are also able to lead near-normal lives.
For together if we stand in this fight against CHD, we will save the lives of these little hearts and give them a healthier future.
- Contributed by Neha Chandra, Healthcare and Philanthropy PR professional
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