Congenital Heart Disease News and Research

RSS

Experts call for add-on to athletes’ cardiac screening

Modified echocardiography should be included as part of the screening process for athletes at risk for sudden cardiac death, say researchers presenting at the annual meeting of the American Society of Echocardiography in Cincinnati, Ohio, USA.

11 Jul 2012

Shear forces cause vessel identity crisis

Lymphatic vessels exposed to fast-flowing blood take on characteristics associated with blood vessels, report researchers.

10 Jul 2012

Echocardiography can help identify athletes with heart problems at risk for sudden death

A new study suggests that echocardiography be included as part of screenings to help identify student athletes with heart problems that could lead to sudden death.

10 Jul 2012

Scientists now have clues to how GATA4 gene mutation leads to septal defects in babies with CHD

Scientists now have clues to how a gene mutation discovered in families affected with congenital heart disease leads to underdevelopment of the walls that separate the heart into four chambers.

27 Jun 2012

World-renowned pediatric cardiac surgeon performs 10,000th milestone operation

Edward L. Bove didn't know he was hitting a major milestone this spring, but the world-renowned pediatric cardiac surgeon performed his 10,000th surgery on March 27 at the University of Michigan's C.S. Mott Children's Hospital.

26 Jun 2012

IACs may increase risk of arrhythmias in young individuals with asthma

Use of inhaled anticholinergics (IACs) has been associated with an increased risk of potentially dangerous heart arrhythmias among young asthma patients, according to a study conducted by researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago.

23 May 2012

$Children with pelvic and thigh fractures rarely develop dangerous blood clots$

Children with pelvic and thigh fractures rarely develop dangerous blood clots

Children with pelvic and thigh fractures develop dangerous blood clots so rarely that anti-clotting therapy should be given only to those with underlying conditions that increase clotting risk, according to a study from Johns Hopkins Children's Center.

21 May 2012

$Anti-clotting drugs rarely needed in children with big-bone fractures$

Anti-clotting drugs rarely needed in children with big-bone fractures

21 May 2012

Sildenafil may improve cardiac function in children, young adults with single ventricle defects

Sildenafil, also known as the erectile dysfunction drug Viagra, may give a boost to underdeveloped hearts in children and young adults with congenital heart defects. Researchers from The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia report that sildenafil significantly improved echocardiographic measures of heart function in children and young adult survivors of single ventricle heart disease palliation.

9 May 2012

State roundup: Calif. fight over group homes for seniors; New agency proposed to police disabled care in NY; Conn. retiree health plan expansion could endanger protections

Neighbors were already concerned about the growing number of group homes for the elderly and recovering addicts in the area, many of them for profit. A Times analysis found 24 licensed facilities offering residential care for the elderly within a mile of the proposed project and three more waiting for state approval. It is one of several such clusters that have emerged in Los Angeles County -- including parts of the San Fernando Valley and South Bay -- where families can afford fees that run into thousands of dollars per month. Large swaths of the county's less affluent areas have no such facilities.

8 May 2012

TCFC completes two in-utero fetal cardiac interventions to treat HLHS

The team at Texas Children's Fetal Center, a national leader for treating fetal anomalies, has successfully completed two in-utero fetal cardiac interventions to treat hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS), a congenital heart defect that is one of the most complex heart defects to treat.

5 May 2012

First study to look at link between gender and mother's cardiac disease

Women with heart disease are more likely to give birth to female rather than male babies according to a new study presented today at the World Congress of Cardiology. The study found that three-quarters of the 216 children born to 200 pregnant women with diagnosed heart disease were female.

20 Apr 2012

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