Hearts Behind the Foundation: The Heart Whisperer

-
Image
My association with Genesis Foundation began in 2024. I feel so blessed to be a part of such noble work that looks only at child heart treatment. An opportunity to create meaningful change in the world. Stepping into the lives of individuals and community and giving them the best you can. I am grateful that through this field I have the power to uplift those who are struggling or are in need, in ways either by giving my heart and soul to the project or to create avenues for donation to charity that I am involved with. My first visit to the hospital to see a 5 month old baby in terrible pain, but a smile on her face left me with a flood of emotions through my mind. Since my school days I have been inclined towards helping others and most importantly giving back to society. I had participated in different social events but never ever had given a thought of taking this on as a career. My story of being a social worker was not meant to be, but yes destiny always pans out the way it’s suppo...
Post a Comment

Things to Consider after your child goes through a treatment for a congenital heart defect

-

 Congenital Heart Defects (CHDs) refer to conditions that arise because of an abnormality in the structure of the heart and therefore the way it functions. These are of different types and vary in the degree of severity. The treatment for congenital heart defects depends on the type of heart problem and how severe it is. Sometimes, the heart defect maybe minor and may not need any interventions. In the case of critical heart defects, the child will need to undergo a hole in heart treatment as soon as possible for the child to be able to survive and get better. In some types of defects, the intervention can be a heart hole treatment without surgery.


As medical care and treatment has improved, children with CHDs are living longer and healthier lives. However, following a hole in heart treatment, ongoing care is important to ensure that children grow well and stay healthy.

Some of the key things to consider after your child has been through a treatment for a Congenital Heart Defect are as follows:

Staying in touch with the doctor: even after a congenital heart defect is treated the conditions can change over time. Hence staying in close contact with the pediatric cardiologist and undergoing regular follow-ups is critical to ensure that the child is developing well and to iron out any surprises. At first, these visits may happen frequently, perhaps every month or two. Later they may be cut back to just once a year. On these visits it is good to have a lost of questions that you may have about the child’s growth and development and get these issues addressed.

Physical activity: most children with congenital heart defects are allowed to have engage in physically activity. However, how soon after a hole in heart treatment is the child allowed to started engaging in physical sports is something that needs to be checked with the treating doctor.  For specific types of CHD, the cardiologist may advise that the child avoids some strenuous activities and sports. The situation can keep changing as the child keeps growing up. Hence it is good to keep having these conversations at regular intervals with the treating team. This is also true in the case who have had a heart hole treatment without surgery.

 


Nutrition: sometimes babies and children with congenital heart defects need more calories as their heart may have to do extra work or may have special dietary requirement s to stay well and grow well. After hole in heart treatment, the growth and weight gain improves, but is important to speak to the health care provider to ensure that the child is getting the best nutrition. They should given protein rich foods and oily food should be avoided. It is best to follow the guidelines of a qualified nutritionist to help your child heal quickly.  

Preventing Infections: Whether you child has been through a hole in heart treatment with surgery or heart hole treatment without surgery, it is important that he/she is given enough time to recover and heal. Hence care should be taken that the child does not develop any infections that can impact the recover especially for a few months after the treatment. Infective endocarditis is an infection in the layers if the heart. If left untreated it can cause other complications such as a blood clot, heart valve damage or heart failure. For some types of heart defects the cardiologist may recommend the use of preventive antibiotics especially before dental procedures.



Equipping yourself: Going through a hole in heart treatment can get very draining emotionally. It is important to take some time and nurture yourself. Once your child has been through a congenital heart defect treatment, it is also important for you to gain all the information regarding your child’s condition and the prognosis. Speaking to the treating doctor, reading, speaking to parents whose children have been through the same condition are ways that one can get the information. Connecting with a child heart foundation also can be extremely helpful.

One can find more information regarding this on www.genesis-foundation.net. Genesis Foundation is a not for profit Child Heart Foundation working to support the medical treatment of underprivileged children suffering from Congenital Heart Defects.

 

References

1.   Congenital heart disease in adults - Diagnosis and treatment - Mayo Clinic

2.   Pre and Postoperative Management of Pediatric Patients with Congenital Heart Diseases | IntechOpen

3.    Congenital heart disease - Treatment - NHS (www.nhs.uk)

4.   Care and Treatment for Congenital Heart Defects | American Heart Association

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Top 10 hospitals for Congenital Heart Disease Treatment

-
The number of hospitals offering Congenital Heart Disease Treatment in India is slowly increasing. In the early and mid-1990’s there were only a few hospitals offering treatment, but with advancing technologies and a greater need for such niche treatment, there are around 50 hospitals both in the private and government sector offering Congenital Heart Disease Treatment for children who are born with heart defects.  Here are the top 10 hospitals for child heart surgery in India: 1. Madras Medical Mission is the first hospital in India in the private sector to treat children with Congenital Heart Defects. The hospital was founded in 1982 by well-known Pediatric Cardiac Surgeon, Dr K M Cherian. The hospital is in Chennai. It is well equipped to handle all sorts of Congenital Heart Defects and around 400 pediatric open-heart surgeries to 500 cardiac Cath Interventions are done per year. Dr K Shivakumar is the Head of Department of Pediatric Cardiology.  Click here  to conne...
Read more

A Congenital Heart Defect Survivor's Story

-
Image
As a baby pushes its way out into this world, and takes that first tentative cry, a million dreams take birth in the hearts of the parents. Small dreams of teaching their child how to throw a ball, of the first day of school, or perhaps of watching him/her tie their own shoelaces for the first time. But what if the only dream you have for your child is that they are able to just live to see another day? This is often the plight of parents whose children are born with congenital heart defect. Read it full here: The Story of Anshul Written by Jyoti Sagar (Founder Trustee) Genesis Foundation ( Children's Healthcare Foundation )facilitates medical treatment for critically ill under-privileged children suffering with Heart Disorders. The support required in the said critical illness varies from specific surgeries (including neonatal), Cath Lab Interventions, along with recovery and recuperation post surgery.We Save Little Hearts.
Read more