Treatment Overview
Your child's treatment for a
congenital heart defect will be based on the type of
problem he or she has. Your child's age, size, and general health also are
important.
Treatment helps most children live fairly normal
lives. Your child may need:
- Medicines to help with symptoms. Some medicines
can control a heartbeat that isn't regular. Others make the heart stronger
until a defect can be fixed. Your child may need some medicines after
surgery. To learn more, see Medications.
- A procedure called heart catheterization to find out details about the
heart defect or sometimes to repair the defect. To learn more, see Other Treatment.
- Surgery to
repair the structural defect. If a newborn needs surgery, the
surgery may be delayed until the baby is stronger. If the defect threatens the
baby's life, surgery will be done right away. To learn more, see Surgery.
Your child will also need regular visits to a pediatric .
Coping
who has a heart problem can be
hard.
You may need to keep track of medicines and make frequent trips to
the doctor. Costs can be high. Try to
find support groups and other parents who can help you with the many emotions
involved.
What to think about
Some children die from severe congenital heart defects or related
, such as heart failure. If your baby is born with
a severe heart defect, there's a good chance that he or she
will survive with treatment. But you must also prepare for the possibility that
your child may die. Talk with your doctor about local resources and
organizations that can help you manage your emotional and practical
struggles when faced with this possibility.