Experts Tell Awareness Is Important To Identify Cases Of Congenital Heart Disease
Congenital heart defects can be classified as a set of malformations in the structure or function of the heart that originate in fetal development. According to the Ministry of Health (MS), about 30,000 children are born with this problem in Brazil and approximately 40% of them will need surgery in their first year of life.
The discussion of the theme is essential, since this is the third leading cause of neonatal death in the country, configuring it as a public health problem. Doctor Estela Azeka, from the Pediatric Cardiology and Adult Congenital Heart Diseases Unit at InCor (Instituto do Coração) at Hospital das Clínicas, Faculty of Medicine, USP, explains that discussion of the topic should be evaluated from the period of pregnancy.
Current scenario
She explains that it is necessary, in the first place, that the pregnant woman perform all the prenatal exams for the evaluation of possible cardiac malformation of the fetus. Thus, with the prior identification of the problem, she can be transferred to a reference center and receive specialized assistance.
In many cases, early heart surgery is essential to guarantee the baby’s health, which is why Estela reflects that “doctors depend on the diagnosis to carry out certain procedures, and for this reason, June 12th is Mother’s Day. Congenital Heart Disease Awareness”.
One of the main exams necessary for the pregnant woman is the morphological ultrasound, as it allows the identification of congenital malformations — especially in the first trimester of pregnancy. If the pregnant woman already has a previous history of children with congenital heart disease, a screening is performed and a fetal echocardiogram is important.
After birth, there is the little heart test, which can be performed on all children; if something specific is observed, the child can be directed to a reference center where he will be treated. In cases where surgery is necessary, it is common to classify it as a correction surgery, in addition to it, constant medical treatment is provided.
Quality of life
After the initial medical procedures, it is important to emphasize that this child will need cardiac monitoring for the rest of his life, but it is possible that the patient will continue with a relatively normal quality of life. “You correct the heart disease, but the patient may have other changes, which are called comorbidities, so he may have hypertension, arrhythmia, heart failure, among others”, adds the doctor.
Despite the consequences, the patient still manages to have a high quality of life, being necessary to take some precautions. To understand the issue, it is essential to improve access to information and encourage women to undergo prenatal care. “I believe that media disclosure in this situation is very important, as it also serves education”, reinforces Estela.
Finally, it is noted that, with the presence of exams, it is possible to detect these comorbidities that require treatment, if medical follow-up is carried out on a regular basis. The specialist concludes by highlighting that “fortunately, we have had an exponential advance”, and it is interesting to note that survival has been increasing in recent decades, along with the number of possible treatments.