IBNLive.com: Breaking news from India

 

Font Size A+A-

Doc talk: Congenital heart defect and treatment

TimePublished on Mon, Mar 17, 2008 at 18:17 in Health section

THE NUMBERS: Congenital heart defect accounts for 20 per cent of infant mortality.

THE NUMBERS: Congenital heart defect accounts for 20 per cent of infant mortality.


ibnlive.com is on mobile now. Read news, watch videos
be a Citizen Journalist. Log on to m.ibnlive.com NOW!

Photogallery

Find us on Facebook | Join IBNLive community

Stay ahead with G-Talk Buddy | Click now!

Ads by Google

New Delhi: There is an alarmingly high incidence of heart defects from birth in India, every year about two lakh children are born with a congenital heart disease (CHD) which can range from a weak heart, to an absent valve, or a hole in the heart. Dr Amit Varma, Director Critical Care, Escorts, explains all you want to know about CHD and its treatment as he focuses on children born with the disease.

ECMO or Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation is a technique, which provides cardiac and respiratory oxygen support to patients who have critically weak hearts and lungs. Eight in 1000 babies are born with a heart so fragile that they have to be put on an external device, which takes up the functions of pumping blood and respiration.

Congenital heart defect accounts for 20 per cent of infant mortality, but there's no cause for alarm as a first trimester fetal screening during pregnancy can detect CHD, but if you've missed it then as an expecting parent, you need to know that if your child shows any of these symptoms then you need to consult your pediatrician immediately.

“Bluish colouration of lips and nails, fast breathing, poor feeding, poor weight gain, suffer from repeated chest infections,” says Senior Cardio Pediatrician Escorts Hospital Dr Ashutosh Marwah.

The reason for this disorder is still being researched but experts feel that the cause is mainly genetic and lifestyle related.

ECMO treatment is in advanced stages in India, complete recovery is a mater of few days, but only if the patient is brought in the nascent stages. That's it for this week, for health related queries do write into at health@ibnlive.com.

Ads by Google
Related Ads:

Copyright © IBNLive.com. All rights reserved. Reproduction of news articles, photos, videos or any other content in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission of IBNLive.com is prohibited.

Read more comment »

Every time I make a trip to the loo in office, there's always someone who wants to tell me how much weight I've lost

Follow Megha Mamgain as she burns the extra kilos on CNN-IBN, Sat: 12:30 pm,
6:30 pm
and Sun: 2:30 pm

About Us | Disclaimer | Careers @ IBN | RSS | Podcast | Contact Us | Feedback | Advertise With Us | Connect.in.com

© 2009 IBNLive.com India. All Rights Reserved. A Web18 Venture

CNN name, logo and all associated elements ® and © 2009 Cable News Network LP, LLLP. A Time Warner Company. All rights reserved. CNN and the CNN logo are registered marks of Cable News Network, LP LLLP, displayed with permission. Use of the CNN name and/or logo on or as part of CNN-IBN does not derogate from the intellectual property rights of Cable News Network in respect of them.

Site powered by URBANEYE