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Paediatric Cardiology
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Our pediatric cardiologists leave no stone unturned for your little one’s heart
A pediatric cardiologist is a specialist doctor who treats cardiac conditions for children across different age groups. They play an instrumental role in diagnosing heart issues in children and providing subsequent treatment for their condition. It is a highly specialized field that entails navigating the delicate conditions of pediatric heart health. Pediatric cardiology specialists coordinate with parents to get a complete perspective on the pathology of your child’s heart problem. It is considered a sub-specialization of pediatrics, with referrals to its specialists usually coming from pediatricians.
Pediatric cardiologists typically consult from pediatric heart clinics, or as part of the pediatrics department in larger super-specialty hospitals. They often collaborate with other specialists to provide expert treatment for pediatric heart diseases, considering your child’s health parameters. A pediatric cardiology doctor treats heart conditions in children up until their adolescent age. In some cases, they may also treat young adults who have been coping with congenital heart defects since birth.
Owing to the innate complexity of pediatric heart conditions, specialists who treat these disorders provide care at multiple levels, from therapeutic to surgical. They typically also treat issues related to pediatric heart diseases, notably systemic hypertension in children. Pediatric cardiology doctors take a holistic approach to treating heart issues in your children, caring for their well-being at every stage of treatment. Depending on the specific condition, the treatment they offer may extend until adulthood.
The range of treatments a pediatric cardiologist provides can be classified into distinct subsets based on the type of cardiac issue. Some common avenues of treatment include:
- - Infant Arrhythmias: A pediatric cardiologist will supervise the presence of any irregular patterns in your child’s heartbeat and prescribe appropriate treatment accordingly. One of the common occurrences of this type of cardiac issue in children is pediatric heart murmurs, which need timely treatment to prevent long-term repercussions.
- - Congenital Heart Defects: Among the most prominent conditions that pediatric cardiologists treat are congenital heart issues. This subtype of heart problem is present since birth and can pose significant (or in some cases, life-threatening) issues for your child in their development. Most of these cases will require pediatric heart surgery.
- - Hypertension and myopathy issues: Pediatric cardiologists are also qualified to treat specific issues that prevent your child’s heart from functioning properly. Both types of pediatric heart diseases impact heart health in different ways. The former affects your child’s overall blood pressure, and the latter affects the muscles in your heart and their efficiency in pumping blood.
Pediatric Cardiology deals with a distinct set of health issues compared to the cardiology issues commonly seen in adults. For instance, the prevalent coronary artery disease (CAD) in adults is not something that affects children in their developmental phase. Therefore, it is important to know the right time to take your child to a pediatric heart clinic for appointments or routine checkups.
When to visit a Pediatric Cardiologist
Picking up on signs of a cardiac anomaly in your child may seem difficult at first, as the symptoms are not always apparent. Your child may also be finding it hard to express what they are feeling physically, in cases such as pediatric heart murmurs. Pediatric heart conditions can be divided into two main types: congenital and acquired. You will usually be referred to a pediatric cardiologist by a specialist pediatrician or your family doctor if they suspect any heart issues in your child. However, it is important to know the telltale signs of cardiac problems to ensure your child gets on the treatment track in time.
The immediate warning signs to look out for that may point to heart health issues in your child are:
- - Sudden breathlessness
- - Severe bouts of chest pain
- - Unexplained dizziness
- - Loss of consciousness/fainting
When these symptoms occur, your pediatrician will first rule out other possibilities before referring you to a pediatric cardiologist. They will provide a concise diagnosis and potential treatment course for your child.
You may need to take your child to a pediatric cardiologist in case your pediatrician assesses a potential risk of future cardiac anomalies. This includes major risk factors, such as:
- - Family history: If you have a prominent family history of cardiac problems like septal defects, your pediatric cardiologist can offer early intervention through regular monitoring.
- - Fetal test abnormalities: In cases where fetal health tests (such as fetal echocardiograms) show abnormal signs, a pediatric cardiologist may step in for a thorough assessment of the potential risk involved for your child.
In case of congenital heart defects, you will have periodic consultations with your pediatric cardiologists, often leading up to surgery before your child turns one year old. The most prominent issues are usually diagnosed during the pregnancy phase, with pediatric heart treatments beginning from birth. Consulting a pediatric cardiologist regularly can ensure your child’s heart health is in the best hands.
Common Procedures and Treatments
Pediatric cardiology procedures require an additional layer of care and medical attention, as children’s cardiac systems are in a delicate developmental state. Your pediatric cardiologist will work closely with your pediatrician, exchanging vital information about your child’s overall health. Pediatric heart treatments focus on rectifying heart issues while minimizing the repercussions of the symptoms. In major cases, this may include pediatric heart surgery. Some of the common procedures and treatments in this sub-specialization include:
- - Pediatric Heart Diagnosis: To diagnose heart issues, a pediatric cardiologist may use a catheter to assess your child’s heart functioning. This is instrumental in measuring parameters like blood pressure and getting accurate imaging of the heart.
- - Blood Transfusion: Children may require blood transfusions after major surgeries, or due to heart-related issues like anemia. Your pediatric cardiologist will supervise these procedures at every stage.
- - Heart Valve Surgery: In cases where your child’s heart valves are dysfunctional, your pediatric cardiologist may perform valve replacement or repair to restore proper blood flow.
- - Congenital Defect Corrective Surgery: As one of the most prominent causes of pediatric heart conditions, congenital heart defects need corrective surgery to resolve. Common procedures performed in this ambit include:
- Balloon Valvuloplasty: This is a minimally invasive procedure to increase the width of heart valves for better blood flow.
- Pulmonary Atresia Surgery: This procedure is performed to correct major septal defects that affect the pulmonary valve.
Finding the right specialist for your child’s pediatric cardiology treatment involves consideration of multiple factors. With myAster’s help, you can easily shortlist an ideal specialist for your child to receive world-class healthcare.
Pediatric Cardiology Consultation Made Simple: myAster
The myAster app brings complete convenience to the appointment scheduling process at Aster facilities. Through the app, you can easily search for pediatric cardiologists near you for expert consultation and schedule an appointment at a time slot convenient to you. Additionally, you can easily view your child’s lab reports directly from the app for easy access. Access a world of medical service convenience with myAster.
