Many people are ignoring an important early warning signal of a stroke, says the Heart and Stroke Foundation. A study published in the medical journal Neurology found that 10% to 20% of individuals who experience mini-strokes or transient ischemic attacks (TIA) will have a full-blown stroke within three months.
Stroke Signals: Knowing Early Signs of Stroke Can Save Lives
Congenital Heart Defect; A Common Birth Defect
Affecting approximately one in every 125 babies born, congenital heart defects (CHD) are the most common birth defect. Forty thousand people are born each year with a CHD; 4,000 will not survive their first year. Twice as many children die each year from a CHD than all forms of Pediatric Cancers combined. The eight most common defects account for 80% of all congenital heart diseases, while the remaining 20% consist of many independently infrequent conditions or combinations of several defects. Ventricular septal defect (VSD) is generally considered to be the most common type of malformation, accounting for about 1/3 of all congenital heart defects.
Common Congenital Heart Defects
These are the common heart defects occur in babies:
HOLE IN THE HEART
- Atrial Septal Defect (ASD)
Septum is the wall that divides the chambers of the heart. An atrial septal defect (ASD) is an opening in this wall that divides the atrial (upper chambers), that fails to close during development.
How to Tell If Your Child Has a Heart Defect?
Serious congenital heart defects are usually diagnosed in infancy, but significant defects may be found anytime during childhood, teenage years or even in adulthood.
If your child shows any of the following symptoms that are commonly related to congenital heart defects, please consult your paediatric cardiologist for a proper diagnostic evaluation.
These include:
• Breathing difficulties
• Poor weight gain
• Frequent chest infections
• Blueness of the fingers, lips and tongue (cyanosis)
How to Treat the Congenital Heart Defect?
NON-SURGICAL
With technological advancement in medicine, an increasing number of congenital heart diseases can be treated non-surgically in the cardiovascular laboratory using small tubes called “catheters” which are inserted via the groin. This includes the treatment of narrowed valves or vessels and closure of some types of holes in the heart and unwanted vessels.
MEDICAL TREATMENT
In some cases of congestive heart failure and irregular heart rhythm, surgery may not be needed. Many medical treatments are available to help the heart work properly.
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