What are the symptoms of heart disease in children?

Symptoms of congenital heart disease depend on the type of defect and its severity. In some cases, symptoms show up immediately after birth; in other cases, symptoms do not occur until later in life, even into adulthood, when the defect has worsened.

Newborn infants with certain types of congenital heart disease may have bluish skin (cyanosis). Cyanosis develops when a congenital defect interferes with normal circulation and allows blood without oxygen to circulate through the body. Other symptoms in infants include eating difficulties, lack of sucking strength or rapid, labored breathing. In older children, difficulty in breathing during play or exertion is a common symptom of congenital heart disease. Also, chest pain if accompanied by fainting can be a sign of a serious heart condition.

Heart murmurs are rated on a scale from 1 to 6. Grade 1 is barely audible, while grade 6 is very loud. Your child's doctor will also note where in the heart the murmur is located, what type of noise it is making (for example, clicking or blowing), and whether it changes when your child moves to different positions. After this initial discovery, your child's doctor may refer him or her to a pediatric cardiologist if further evaluation is necessary.

While the vast majority of cardiac arrest cases occur in the older adult, rarely sudden deaths can occur during sports or strenuous exercise in youth. The cause of sudden death in youth is most often due to an underlying heart condition either known or unknown. While it should be emphasized that these events are rare and should not raise undue anxiety or inhibit sports activities, many parents are concerned about the potential for their child to suffer such a devastating event.