Congenital Heart Disease News and Research

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Innate patient factors, overall morbidity affect neurodevelopment in infants with single-ventricle disease

In the largest multicenter clinical trial of children undergoing early-stage surgery for single-ventricle heart defects, differences in intraoperative management did not significantly affect neurodevelopmental outcomes at 14 months of age. Instead, the strongest influences were innate patient characteristics and general medical morbidity during the child's first year of life.

6 Apr 2012

Johns Hopkins Hospital's new home to open on May 1

The Johns Hopkins Hospital's new home, set to open on May 1, will redefine the very essence of the hospital experience, and cutting-edge technology designed to improve care, streamline workflow and encourage efficiencies will play a central role.

31 Mar 2012

More than 10 CNMC pediatric cardiologists to present at ACC conference

More than 10 pediatric cardiologists from Children's National Medical Center will present at the 2012 American College of Cardiology Scientific Session, which runs from March 24 - 27 in Chicago. Experts from a variety of pediatric disciplines will discuss relevant and current findings for practitioners who manage patients with congenital heart disease.

26 Mar 2012

Winnie Palmer Hospital plans to expand neonatal intensive care unit

Winnie Palmer Hospital for Women & Babies is announcing plans to expand its neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). The $13 million expansion will add 30 beds to the unit, making it the largest NICU in the United States.

20 Mar 2012

Dental hygiene critical for preventing endocarditis in patients with congenital heart disease

Poor dental hygiene behaviours in patients with congenital heart disease are increasing their risk of endocarditis. Teens with congenital heart disease floss, brush and visit the dentist less than their peers. But they have healthier behaviours when it comes to alcohol, cigarettes and illicit drugs.

16 Mar 2012

UAB first hospital in Alabama to offer Melody Valve replacement

In many ways Dylan Fields is your typical 15-year-old boy. He loves sports, and plays baseball and soccer for his school, Tallassee High, in Central Alabama. What's not typical about Dylan is his heart defect and, now, the procedure used to repair his heart.

6 Mar 2012

Experts to discuss current treatments for children with heart disease at Cardiology 2012

An international group of almost 1000 medical experts gathers this week to discuss the most current treatments for children with heart disease. Affecting about a million children born each year throughout the world, congenital heart disease is the most common birth defect. In its severe forms, it is also the leading cause of death from birth defects in infants.

23 Feb 2012

Novel feeding device may decrease risk of FTT in newborns with congenital heart defects

A novel feeding device developed at the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing may decrease the risk of failure to thrive (FTT), which currently affects half of all newborns with congenital heart defects even after their surgical lesions are corrected.

18 Feb 2012

Surgeons fix plumbing in the heart of newborn 5 days old

Keyota Cole was born with a bad heart. The 33-year-old from of Bakersfield, Calif., suffers from a congenital heart disease called Ebstein's malformation of the tricuspid valve, and from abnormal pulmonary veins. She has undergone multiple surgeries over her lifetime, including one to repair a hole in her heart, a valve replacement and the implantation of a pacemaker.

15 Feb 2012

Researchers discover how SHP-2 genetic defect may result in heart malformation

UNC researchers have discovered how the genetic defect underlying one of the most common congenital heart diseases keeps the critical organ from developing properly. According to the new research, mutations in a gene called SHP-2 distort the shape of cardiac muscle cells so they are unable to form a fully functioning heart.

7 Feb 2012

Scientists discover finely tuned mechanism associated with CHD

Scientists at the Gladstone Institutes have identified a finely tuned mechanism by which fetal heart muscle develops into a healthy and fully formed beating heart-offering new insight into the genetic causes of congenital heart disease and opening the door to one day developing therapies to fight this chronic and potentially fatal disorder.

23 Jan 2012

Gladstone Senior Investigator named AAAS fellow for cardiac and stem cell research

The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) has named Gladstone Senior Investigator Deepak Srivastava, MD, a Fellow for his efforts to advance science and its applications.

17 Dec 2011

Lab results change in consistent ways during the course of Kawasaki disease

Children with Kawasaki disease show a pattern of changing laboratory test results as the disease runs its course, according to a study in the December issue of The Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal.

15 Dec 2011

Fears about ICD shock during sex leads to performance problems in heart patients

Adults with congenital heart disease and implanted cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs) often have a high level of fear and anxiety about the device delivering a shock during sex - resulting in sexual performance problems, according to research (Abstract 14165) presented at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2011.

14 Nov 2011

Renowned cardiologist wins TCT 2011 Geoffrey O. Hartzler Master Clinical Operator Award

Horst Sievert, MD, PhD, a renowned interventional cardiologist, was presented the TCT 2011 Geoffrey O. Hartzler Master Clinical Operator Award in a ceremony held today during the 23rd annual Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics (TCT) scientific symposium, sponsored by the Cardiovascular Research Foundation.

14 Nov 2011

Role of cardiovascular magnetic resonance in clinical cardiology

Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance (CMR) has undergone substantial development and offers important advantages compared with other well-established imaging modalities.

3 Nov 2011

Pulse oximetry can detect critical congenital heart disease in infants

Pulse oximetry, a non-invasive procedure that measures the amount of oxygen in the bloodstream, can be used as a screening tool to detect critical congenital heart disease (CCHD) in infants, and is more readily available than echocardiography, the current gold standard for CCHD diagnosis, according to a new research abstract presented Friday, Oct. 14, at the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) National Conference and Exhibition (NCE) in Boston.

14 Oct 2011

Simple test can save lives of infants with undiagnosed critical heart defects

The US Secretary of Health recently supported a recommendation that all babies born in the US are to be screened for critical heart defects, before leaving hospital. Behind this decision is a study from the Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, and the West Götaland Region's maternity units in Sweden which shows that a simple test can save the lives of newborns with these heart defects.

11 Oct 2011

Financial and political commitments to improve health of women and children

In only one year, more than 100 countries, foundations, multilateral organizations, the UN, the private sector, and academic and professional associations have made unprecedented financial and political commitments to greatly improve the health of women and children.

21 Sep 2011

Medicated stents lower likelihood of heart attacks in cardiac patients

Researchers at Cleveland Clinic have discovered that cardiac patients receiving medicated stents - a procedure that occurs often when blood vessels are blocked - have a lower likelihood of suffering heart attacks or developing new blockages in the vessel downstream from the stent.

16 Sep 2011