CARE Hospitals urges early detection for congenital defects

Dr. Tapan Kumar Dash, Clinical Director and Head of Department - Paediatric Cardiothoracic Surgery, CARE Hospitals, Banjara Hills, Hyderabad. 

As the country observes Congenital Heart Awareness Week (February 7-14), doctors at CARE Hospitals highlight that nearly 8 out of every 1,000 babies are born with congenital heart disease (CHD). When a newborn struggles to feed, breathes rapidly or develops a bluish tinge around the lips, in some cases, these signs can signal a congenital heart defect, the most common birth defect in India. 

Dr. Prashant Prakashrao Patil, Senior Consultant, Interventional Pediatric Cardiologist, CARE Hospitals, Banjara Hills mentioned that while the heart beats nearly 100,000 times a day, pumping oxygen-rich blood to every organ, when there is a structural defect, blood flow may be obstructed or oxygen-rich and oxygen-poor blood may mix. He stressed the importance of recognizing early warning signs such as rapid breathing, bluish lips or nails, poor weight gain or excessive sweating during feeds can be lifesaving. 

Diagnosis involves clinical examination supported by tests such as pulse oximetry, electrocardiogram (ECG), chest X-ray and echocardiography. In some cases, fetal echocardiography between 18 and 22 weeks of pregnancy can help detect heart defects even before birth. Over the past two decades, minimally invasive catheter-based procedures and refined surgical techniques have transformed outcomes, enabling most children with congenital heart disease to lead normal, active lives.

Dr. Tapan Kumar Dash, Clinical Director and Head of Department - Pediatric Cardiothoracic Surgery, CARE Hospitals, Banjara Hills stated that Congenital heart disease is no longer a life-limiting condition in most cases and with timely diagnosis, advanced interventions, and multidisciplinary care, children can grow into healthy adult. CARE Hospitals, equipped with specialized pediatric cardiology and cardiothoracic surgery teams, emphasizes routine newborn screening and timely specialist consultation to reduce preventable complications.