Staying Healthy

Cardiology

Your child will typically have 1-2 cardiology and/or cardiac surgery appointments in the first four to six weeks after cardiac surgery. These clinic visits will usually include chest X-rays, EKG’s, and ECHO’s. Beyond the first month of recovery from surgery, your child will require lifelong cardiology care to help manage their heart condition. The frequency of these appointments will depend on your child’s type of CHD. These visits are the best time to ask your child’s cardiologist about immediate and longterm health concerns.

General (Pediatric) Practitioner

Your child’s visits with the cardiologist do not replace the need to see a pediatrician or general practitioner on a schedule similar to other children their age. The pediatrician will manage all of the non-cardiology aspects of your child’s health and play an important role in keeping your child well. It is important for your child’s pediatrician and cardiologist to communicate with each other about the details of health management decisions. You should show this booklet to your pediatrician at your first appointment.

In general, children with CHD should expect to receive all usual vaccines. However, vaccines should not be given less than four weeks before or after surgery because cardiopulmonary bypass reduces the vaccine’s e ectiveness. Some heart conditions, during the first year of life, require an additional monthly injection (called Synagis) during the winter and spring to help decrease the impact of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infections. Only certain types of CHD require this injection, and it is only during the first year of life. All children with CHD greater than six months old should receive the yearly influenza vaccine along with all members of the household.

Good dental health habits are important for children with CHD to reduce the risk of a dangerous infection in the heart (called Endocarditis). These habits include brushing teeth twice daily and visiting the dentist twice a year.

In addition, for certain types of CHD, it is advised that antibiotics are taken before dental and other surgical procedures (check with your cardiologist to see if your child needs antibiotics).

During teenage years, it’s important to discuss adult-related topics with your child and their cardiologist. Some typical adult experiences like pregnancy, as well as some less common experiences like drug exposure, may have potentially dangerous effects.

Most adults with CHD can have safe and successful pregnancies. However, this is not the case for all CHD types and needs to be carefully considered prior to any family planning. Some women may require birth control to prevent the risks associated with pregnancy. In addition, family planning should be discussed with a cardiologist to determine the risk of children inheriting CHD.

Other exposures, such as alcohol, smoking, recreational drugs, and tattoos, are uniquely harmful to those with CHD. Drugs may negatively impact the heart directly, and tattoos are a potential source of a heart infection (Endocarditis).