Sports can be an important part of childhood and being active in general is recommended for all kids to stave off obesity, increase cardiovascular health, improve mental health, and foster a sense of belonging with peers. One of the questions…
Conventional fetal cardiovascular imaging—fetal echocardiography—is typically done at 18 to 24 weeks of gestation, or at the end of the second trimester, allowing doctors to view the structure and function of a baby’s heart and diagnose most Congenital Heart Defects…
Nicole had episodes of a racing heartbeat now and then during her childhood, but she didn’t know what it was or how to talk about it with her mom. When Nicole was 15, she happened to have an episode when…
When children who were born with congenital heart defects become teens and young adults, they may believe they no longer need to be followed by a cardiologist. However, it is recommended that these patients see a cardiologist with special training…
The main goal of a Child Life Specialist at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta Cardiology is to help kids cope with the sometimes overwhelming stressors that come with hospitalization. At Sibley, the care Child Life Specialists provide is family-centered, which means…
Pulmonary vein stenosis (PVS) is cardiovascular condition in which oxygenated blood from the lungs cannot easily return to the left side of the heart to be pumped out into the body. The right side of the heart begins to struggle…
Hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS) is a birth defect that affects normal blood flow through the heart. As the baby develops during pregnancy, the left side of the heart does not develop and grow appropriately. Hypoplastic left heart syndrome is…
When sudden cardiac arrest occurs outside of a hospital, a person only has about a 10 percent chance of survival. However, if the cardiac arrest occurs in a Georgia school that has been prepared for such an event through Project…
What is an Atrial Septal Defect (ASD)? The atrial septum is the wall between the two upper chambers of the heart, and an atrial septal defect (ASD) is an abnormal hole in the wall. ASD, a heart problem that is present at…
A top-end heart rate for children is roughly 220 bpm minus the child’s age in years. Rates faster than that can indicate supraventricular tachycardia (SVT), an abnormally fast heart rhythm caused by an electrical short circuit in the top chambers…
