It doesn't just threaten the elderly! Pay attention to these 10 signs for your child's heart health.

While heart disease is often thought to occur only in adults, it can also occur frequently in childhood. Pediatric cardiologist Dr. Bahattin Öncü warned families that early diagnosis of congenital or acquired heart disease in children can prevent serious consequences.
Dr. Öncü emphasized that congenital heart diseases can present symptoms starting in infancy, while arrhythmias, valve problems, and heart conditions related to infections can also be seen in school-aged children. Therefore, it is crucial for parents to closely monitor their children's development and consult a specialist if they experience any unusual symptoms.
Here are the 10 symptoms highlighted by Dr. Bahattin Öncü:
Rapid and labored breathing: Rapid breathing without fever or lung disease, with rib muscles and nose wings participating in breathing, may be a sign of heart disease.
- Bruising: Bruising on the lips, tongue, or body during or after birth may indicate serious heart disease.
- Palpitations: The disturbing sensation of heartbeats may be due to arrhythmia or infections.
- A heart murmur: Abnormal sounds heard during a physical examination are called murmurs. They can be seen in 4 out of 10 children. It can be an innocent murmur, but it should definitely be evaluated by a specialist.
- Chest pain: Although uncommon in children, it can be a sign of heart disease. Cardiological evaluation is important.
- Growth and developmental delay : Energy consumption increases in heart failure, which may lead to developmental delay.
- Fatigue, weakness: In cases such as heart holes and vascular stenosis, inadequate functioning of the heart may cause these symptoms.
- Joint pain and swelling : Swelling may occur in joints such as knees and elbows due to rheumatoid arthritis.
- Prolonged fever: A fever lasting more than five days may be a sign of Kawasaki disease. Early diagnosis is crucial for this disease, which affects the cardiovascular system.
- Abnormalities in chest radiographs: An abnormal image of the heart may be noticed on a chest radiograph taken for another reason.
Dr. Bahattin Öncü emphasized that if one or more of these symptoms are present, a pediatric cardiologist should be consulted without delay, adding that early diagnosis can be lifesaving.
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