Some pediatric heart centers have special programs for heart failure. Your child’s healthcare provider will check him or her often. It also depends on how severe the symptoms are and what the treatment is. How well your child lives with heart failure depends on many things, including his or her age. How can I help my child live with heart failure? Low red blood cell count or low hemoglobin level (anemia) If a clot blocks the blood supply to the brain, a stroke may occur. High blood pressure in the blood vessels between the heart and lungs (pulmonary hypertension)īlood clots. Heart failure can cause many complications. What are possible complications of heart failure in a child? Older children may benefit from an exercise rehab program. A healthy donor heart replaces your child's diseased heart.Ĭhildren may also need the help of a nutritionist who can help with feeding and managing fluids. Your child may use these while waiting for a heart transplant. Children with severe heart failure may be helped with special devices and tools. This treatment may be used in some children with long-term heart failure. The pacemaker may help when the heart is not pumping well because of a slow heartbeat.Ĭardiac resynchronization therapy. Some children with heart failure need an artificial pacemaker. This also makes it easier for the heart to pump blood to the body. These help lower the heart rate and blood pressure. This makes it easier for your child's heart to pump blood to the body.īeta blockers. These medicines help open the blood vessels and lower blood pressure. These help the kidneys get rid of extra fluid that may build up in the body.ĪCE (angiotensin-converting enzyme) inhibitors. This is a medicine that can help the heart beat stronger with a more regular rhythm. Medicines are often used to treat heart failure in children. If heart failure is caused by a congenital heart defect, correcting the defect may cure the heart failure. It will also depend on how severe the condition is. Treatment will depend on your child’s symptoms, age, and general health. This measures pressure and oxygen levels inside the heart. The doctor puts a small, flexible tube (catheter) into a blood vessel and moves it to the heart. The echo may show changes caused by heart failure such as enlarged chambers.Ĭardiac catheterization. Ultrasound waves are used to study the motion of the heart's chambers and valves. The ECG may show changes in the heart's rhythm.Įchocardiography (echo). The X-ray may show heart and lung changes.Įlectrocardiography (ECG). Abnormal results may help find heart failure.Ĭhest X-ray. This is a doctor with special training to diagnose and treat heart problems in children. Tests for heart failure may include:īlood and urine tests. If the provider thinks your child has heart failure, your child may need to see a pediatric cardiologist. The provider will look for symptoms that may be related to heart failure. He or she will do a physical exam on your child.

The healthcare provider will ask about your child’s symptoms and health history. How is heart failure diagnosed in a child?

Have your child sees his or her healthcare provider for a diagnosis. The symptoms of heart failure can be like other health conditions. How severe the symptoms are depends on how much of the heart's pumping ability is affected. Poor feeding and weight gain (in infants)Įxcessive sweating while feeding, playing, or exercising Trouble breathing, especially with activity including rapid breathing, wheezing, or excessive coughing Swelling (edema) of the feet, ankles, lower legs, belly (abdomen), liver, and neck veins Symptoms can occur a bit differently in each child. What are the symptoms of heart failure in a child? Medicine side effects, especially from medicines used to treat cancer Irregular heartbeats (cardiac arrhythmias) This is often an inherited cause.ĭecrease in the blood supply to the heart (ischemia). Heart muscle disease or enlargement of the heart muscle (cardiomyopathy). The most common cause of heart failure in children is a heart defect that is present at birth (congenital). These problems lead to the symptoms of heart failure. Some parts of the body don’t get enough oxygen-rich blood to work normally. Blood and fluid may back up into the lungs (congestive heart failure). When you have heart failure, the heart is not able to pump as well as it should. The heart is a muscle that pumps oxygen-rich blood to all parts of the body. Heart Failure in Children What is heart failure in children?

Symptoms of heart pro lems