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 Robert Whitehill, MD, was in medical school, he intended to go into his third-year rotations, where physicians typically choose their specialties, with a totally open mind. However, his first rotation was in pediatric cardiac service, and on his very…
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…
Hearing her baby’s heartbeat for the first time can be one of the highlights of a woman’s pregnancy. In fact, checking the rate and rhythm of a baby’s heartbeat with an Doppler ultrasound is a routine part of each visit…
Heart murmurs in children are one of the four primary reasons why a new patient would be referred to Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta Cardiology’s outpatient office (the other three symptoms are chest pain, passing out (syncope) and irregular heartbeat). Many…
While it’s not common, chest pain in children can be linked to cardiac-related issues, and it’s important to understand when you need to see a cardiologist due to this pain. Brandon Harden, M.D., a pediatric cardiologist at Children’s Healthcare of…
Congenital Heart Defect (CHD) Awareness – 1 in 100 kids are born with a congenital heart defect yet there is limited awareness of this fact. Children’s Cardiology wants to share 10 ways that we can all help raise awareness for…
