The heart can be described as the muscle pump of the body. A congenital heart problem can arise when there is abnormal heart development that happens in utero, before birth. The American Heart Association (AHA) states that annually approximately...
Tetralogy of Fallot is a congenital heart problem which results in blood that is low in oxygen being pumped throughout the body. This can cause babies to be slightly blue in color, also known as cyanosis.
Hereditary factors can significantly raise risk factors for heart disease. Research findings published in a 2005 issue of the "Journal of the American Medical Association" identify a cox-2 genetic molecule that serves as a protective factor when...
Diagonal ear creases can have significant implications for adults. Infants are different, however --- their bodies are still developing and such a crease might be little more than a wrinkle. That does not mean you should ignore creases in a baby's...
The heart is your body's pump. It has four chambers, two on the right side and two on the left side. These chambers have the ability to beat in sequence up to 100,000 times in a day, sending oxygenated blood to your vital organs and returning the...
Parents should not ignore any respiratory symptom, in their toddler, no matter how minor it may seem. As small children, especially toddlers, come down with colds and other viruses, some develop wheezing sounds as they breathe. If your child...
More than 64 million people in the U.S. have a health condition involving their heart, states KidsHealth, and a significant portion of those are 19 or younger. For instance, the American Academy of Pediatrics estimates roughly 5 percent of...
As a parent, news that your child may have a heart problem can be devastating. Some children are diagnosed with a congenital heart defect, meaning your child was born with a problem in the heart's formation. According to KidsHealth.org, congenital...
One in every 100 children in the United States suffers from a heart defect, according to the Cardiac and Vascular Institute. A total of 35,000 U.S. children are born each year with a present defect. Many defects, such as problems with the atrial...
One in four deaths in the United States is due to heart disease; consequently, heart disease is the number one killer for both men and women, reports the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Heart disease is an umbrella term used to...
Warkany syndrome 2 is a rare genetic disease that is caused by the presence of an extra copy of chromosome 8. Humans have two copies of most chromosomes, inheriting one from each parent. However, when a third copy is present, what is called...
Heart disease is one of the leading causes of death in the United States. The term "congestive" refers to fluid buildup in the body due to the heart not pumping correctly. MayoClinic.com notes that once congestive heart failure occurs, the process...
A heart pacemaker is a small battery-operated device that detects and corrects slow, irregular heartbeats and delays in the normal flow of electrical impulses within the heart. According to a 1995 article in "Public Health Reports," approximately...
Heart disease can develop from various causative factors including lifestyle, diet, bacterial infections and age. Heart disease is also well-known to be hereditary. According to the American Heart Association, "children of parents with heart and...
The vertebrae are the bones that make up the spinal column. The 33 vertebrae go from the neck all the way to the pelvis. They give support to the head, chest and abdomen, and completely surround and protect the spinal cord. Vertebral diseases can...
Hypoglycemia, or low blood sugar levels, is not uncommon in newborns, affecting 2 out of 1,000 babies, the Medical University of South Carolina reports. Many newborns have transient hypoglycemia after birth. There are many causes of neonatal...
You may be alarmed some mornings to find your baby sleeping in sweaty clothes and on sweaty sheets or worry when your infant cries so hard that he works up a sweat. Infants, even newborns, have fully developed sweat glands in their heads and necks...
Congenital heart disease, any heart condition present at birth, can range from inconvenient to life-threatening. Exercise may improve the condition of your heart and lead to a more vital life. Before beginning an exercise routine, especially if...
The cardiovascular system is made up blood, a vast network of blood vessels and the heart, which is responsible for pumping the blood throughout the vessels. The purpose of the cardiovascular system is to deliver nutrients, such as oxygen, to each...
Smoke from the average cigarette contains at least 2,500 different chemicals. Many of these chemicals are known to be harmful to fetuses and babies, while the effects of others are still unknown. The surgeon general's warning on cigarette...
If you have been diagnosed with heart disease, you may feel intimidated to exercise, especially if you are older and aren't very active. But a sedentary lifestyle probably helped lead to a heart condition in the first place. Modified and moderate...
Birth is a stressful event for a newborn. Newborns must make many physiologic adaptations immediately after birth, and any number of things can occur at that time. The circulatory system changes, a new oxygen source must be utilized, and the...
The discovery of the heart's function and the circulation of the blood were the first landmarks in the science of cardiology. The major cardiac landmarks, including diverse procedures and techniques that involve repairs, transplants and implants...
Iron is a mineral that the body needs to help make hemoglobin to carry oxygen through the blood. Most children get enough iron from the foods they eat. Foods rich in iron include animal products, such as meat and eggs, spinach and iron-fortified...
Folic acid gets plenty of press as a nutrient necessary for proper prenatal development. But sometimes people who aren't pregnant, and even some of those who are, wonder whether there is such as thing as too much folic acid and whether this...
Children frequently have short-term illnesses that last only a few days, such as colds or an upset stomach. Other childhood diseases include chronic illnesses that last for years or for a lifetime. Some diseases are acute, or sudden onset, while...
Newborn heart problems are more common than you would expect. According to the American Heart Association, nine out of every 1,000 babies in the United States are born with a congenital heart defect. Although most congenital heart defects are...
Many different kinds of cardiac disorders occur in children, but they can be classified into two main groups, according to The Children's Hospital-Denver. In congenital disorders, the child was born with the problem. In acquired disorders, the...
Congenital heart disease involves one or more structural defects of the heart or blood vessels, according to the Cleveland Clinic. It occurs before birth as a fetus develops. Congenital heart disease affects approximately eight to 10 out of every...
Rubella, or German measles, is an often benign outbreak of little red bumps that usually pass in one to five days. Learn more in this health video.
