Congenital heart disease (CHD) is the most common type of birth defect and occurs when the baby’s heart does not develop normally during pregnancy. For this, pay attention to the signs of congenital heart disease to prevent negative effects on the baby.
CHD can change the way the heart pumps blood or form a small hole. As a result, the blood flows too slowly or is completely blocked. At least eight out of every 1,000 babies in Indonesia are affected by CHD. However, only 30 percent of those who experience signs in the first few weeks of life.
However, this disease is not always felt as a child. Patients sometimes don’t realize they have a congenital heart defect until adulthood. Or, there are also cases of signs of congenital heart disease that subside as the baby grows, only to suddenly reappear as the baby grows.
“It turns out that a quarter of children born with CHD are people with critical CHD who require medical attention in the first year,” explained Dr. Radityo Prakoso, Sp.JP (K), FIHA, cardiologist and blood vessel specialist and president of the Central Directorate of the Association of Cardiovascular Medical Specialists Indonesia (PP PERKI) through the Press Conference for the Commemoration of World Heart Day held by Indonesian Heart Foundation, Wednesday (9/28/2022).
Until now, most cases of CHD did not know for sure the cause. However, medical experts suspect that genetic or chromosomal changes trigger heart defects in babies. The alleged cause arises from various factors, such as the environment, the mother’s unhealthy diet, and parents with diabetes or obesity. Meanwhile, studies from 2007 and 2013 found that women who smoke and use certain drugs also increase the risk of coronary heart disease in children.
Signs of congenital heart disease
Dr. Radityo said that one of the signs of congenital heart disease (CHD) is that the baby does not cry immediately after birth and his body appears bluish in color. Even so, not all sufferers experience special signs in adulthood.
“Babies are usually born crying, yes. However, if the baby is born without crying and looks bluish, we should be suspicious. Is this a congenital heart disease?” Dr. Radiyo said.
Cited by Medlineplus, other signs of PJB in children are:
- Poor blood flow.
- Difficulty breathing or breathing too fast compared to normal children.
- Not wanting to breastfeed due to tiredness.
- Heart murmur (abnormal heartbeat sound).
- Cyanosis, which is a condition of blue nails and lips due to a lack of oxygen.
In addition to children, pay attention to the signs of coronary heart disease in adults, as reported below by the Mayo Clinic:
- Heart rhythm disturbances (arrhythmias).
- Difficult to breathe.
- Easily tired with light activities.
- Swelling in the organs (edema).
If the signs of congenital heart disease (CHD) become more visible, the condition is severe enough to require many surgical procedures over several years. Therefore, doctors recommend that parents first perform premarital screening and prenatal counseling through lifestyle and risk factor analysis.
Watch videos”Beware of heart disease in children!“
[Gambas:Video 20detik]
(juice / juice)
