Congenital defects are the diseases of a developing foetus. It may be the defects of genetic structure, intrauterine environment, defects in morphology or a chromosomal anomaly. The diseases of the heart developed in a child by birth are termed congenital heart defects.
- SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF CONGENITAL HEART DEFECTS IN CHILDREN
- CAUSES OF CONGENITAL HEART DEFECTS IN CHILDREN
- PATHOPHYSIOLOGY OF CONGENITAL HEART DEFECTS IN CHILDREN
- DIAGNOSIS OF CONGENITAL HEART DEFECTS IN CHILDREN
- TREATMENTS FOR CONGENITAL HEART DEFECTS IN CHILDREN
- PROGNOSIS OF CONGENITAL HEART DEFECTS IN CHILDREN
- COMPLICATIONS OF CONGENITAL HEART DEFECTS IN CHILDREN
- CONGENITAL HEART DEFECTS IN CHILDREN AND AYURVEDA
- NIDANA- AYURVEDIC CAUSES OF CONGENITAL HEART DEFECTS IN CHILDREN
- PURVAROOPAM- AYURVEDIC PREMONITORY SYMPTOMS OF CONGENITAL HEART DEFECTS IN CHILDREN
- SAMPRAPTI – AYURVEDIC PATHOGENESIS OF CONGENITAL HEART DEFECTS IN CHILDREN
- LAKSHANA- AYURVEDIC SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF CONGENITAL HEART DEFECTS IN CHILDREN
- AYURVEDIC PROGNOSIS OF CONGENITAL HEART DEFECTS IN CHILDREN
- CHIKITSA- AYURVEDIC TREATMENT FOR CONGENITAL HEART DEFECTS IN CHILDREN
- AYURVEDIC LOCAL TREATMENT FOR CONGENITAL HEART DEFECTS IN CHILDREN
- AYURVEDIC SAMANA TREATMENT FOR CONGENITAL HEART DEFECTS IN CHILDREN
- COMMONLY USED AYURVEDIC MEDICINES FOR CONGENITAL HEART DEFECTS IN CHILDREN
- HOME REMEDIES FOR CONGENITAL HEART DEFECTS IN CHILDREN
- DIET AND BEHAVIOUR FOR CONGENITAL HEART DEFECTS IN CHILDREN
- YOGA FOR CONGENITAL HEART DEFECTS IN CHILDREN
SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF CONGENITAL HEART DEFECTS IN CHILDREN
The general signs and symptoms of congenital heart defects in children are:
- Palpitation
- Exercise intolerance
- Fatigue
- Dyspnoea
- Feeding problems
- Sleep disturbances
- Oedema
- Cyanosis
- Frequent infections
CAUSES OF CONGENITAL HEART DEFECTS IN CHILDREN
- Genetic factors – a chromosomal anomaly, multifactorial inheritance
- Environmental factors – viral infections during the first trimester, metabolic disorders in the mother
- Hereditary factors – Marfan syndrome
PATHOPHYSIOLOGY OF CONGENITAL HEART DEFECTS IN CHILDREN
Due to the above-mentioned causes, simple or complex types of congenital heart defects occur. These may be cyanotic or acyanotic. Cyanotic type of congenital heart defects may be associated with decreased or increased pulmonary blood flow. Likewise acyanotic may be with or without a shunt.
Common congenital heart defects are:
- Atrial septal defect
- Ventricular septal defect
- Patent ductus arteriosus
- Coarctation of aorta
- Tetralogy of fallot
- Tricuspid atresia
- Pulmonary atresia
- Patent foramen ovale
- Patent ductus arteriosus
DIAGNOSIS OF CONGENITAL HEART DEFECTS IN CHILDREN
- EXAMINATIONS
Auscultation – when listening to the chest with a stethoscope, the doctor may hear abnormal heart sounds.
- INVESTIGATIONS
- X – rays
- Electrocardiogram
- Echocardiogram
- MRI – heart
- Laboratory tests – to find out the underlying pathology
TREATMENTS FOR CONGENITAL HEART DEFECTS IN CHILDREN
- Treatment for underlying pathology
- Surgical interventions like cardiac catheterization, open-heart surgery
PROGNOSIS OF CONGENITAL HEART DEFECTS IN CHILDREN
- Many children with congenital heart defects do not need treatment.
- Prognosis is based on the type of heart defect, severity and condition of the patient
COMPLICATIONS OF CONGENITAL HEART DEFECTS IN CHILDREN
- Congestive heart failure
- Endocarditis
- Arrhythmias
- Poor weight gain and developmental delay
CONGENITAL HEART DEFECTS IN CHILDREN AND AYURVEDA
- In Ayurveda,congenital heart defects in children occur due to beeja dushti, arthava dushti or garbhashaya dushti.
- Symptoms of congenital heart defects in children can be correlated to kapha paittika hridroga.
- Ayurveda has several formulations to treat this condition and is in practice with proven efficacy.
NIDANA- AYURVEDIC CAUSES OF CONGENITAL HEART DEFECTS IN CHILDREN
- Improper food and regimens – virudha ahara and vihara
- Rakta Dhatu dushti
- Beeja dushti
- Artava dushti
- Garbhaya dushti
PURVAROOPAM- AYURVEDIC PREMONITORY SYMPTOMS OF CONGENITAL HEART DEFECTS IN CHILDREN
- Breathing difficulty
- Decreased appetite
SAMPRAPTI – AYURVEDIC PATHOGENESIS OF CONGENITAL HEART DEFECTS IN CHILDREN
- Due to the causative factors, pitta dosha combined with kapha dosha residing in hridaya (heart) produces the symptoms of congenital heart diseases.
LAKSHANA- AYURVEDIC SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF CONGENITAL HEART DEFECTS IN CHILDREN
- Breathing difficulty – swasa rodha
- Decreased appetite – aruchi
- Fever – jwara
- Fatigue – klama
- Palpitation – hridrava
- Sleep disturbances – alpa nidra
- Oedema – sopha
AYURVEDIC PROGNOSIS OF CONGENITAL HEART DEFECTS IN CHILDREN
- Yapya roga – symptoms are manageable in most the cases
CHIKITSA- AYURVEDIC TREATMENT FOR CONGENITAL HEART DEFECTS IN CHILDREN
Ayurvedic local treatment for congenital heart defects in children
- Snehana using lavana taila and Svedam – local fermentation in case of breathing difficulty
AYURVEDIC SAMANA TREATMENT FOR CONGENITAL HEART DEFECTS IN CHILDREN
The following treatments are adopted:
- Treatment of swasa
- Treatment of jwara
- Treatment of kasa
- Treatment of hridroga
- Treatment of sopha
- Treatment of sosha
COMMONLY USED AYURVEDIC MEDICINES FOR CONGENITAL HEART DEFECTS IN CHILDREN
Internal administration
- Thalisadi Choorna
- Kantakari avaleha
- Kanakasava
- Arjunarishtam
- Tribhuvana Keerthi Rasa
- Dashamoola Katuthrayam Kashaya
- Shwasa Kutara Rasa
- Prabhakara vati
- Hridayarnava rasa
- Vyaghri hareetaki avaleha
Avoid Congenital Heart Diseases in Children
If a proper pre-conceptual Ayurvedic regimen is followed by the parents, we can avoid most congenital diseases. Ayurvedic Monthly regimen during the pregnancy also corrects the majority of the diseases of congenital origin.
External application
- Karpooradi taila application on chest region during breathing difficulty
HOME REMEDIES FOR CONGENITAL HEART DEFECTS IN CHILDREN
- Proper rest
DIET AND BEHAVIOUR FOR CONGENITAL HEART DEFECTS IN CHILDREN
- Avoid food items that produce kapha, pitta dosha imbalance like cold, sweet and dry food, hard to digest. Because kapha, pitta imbalance aggravates the symptoms.
- Consume easily digestible food items
- Avoid a heavy diet at bedtime.
- Avoid drinking water immediately after food.
- Avoid heavy exercises
YOGA FOR CONGENITAL HEART DEFECTS IN CHILDREN
- Nadi Shuddi Pranayam – do with special care
The patient needs to be seated in a meditative posture with the head and spine erect, and the body relaxed. The patient has to close one nostril (e.g. left nostril if using the right hand and vice versa) with the thumb and exhale completely through the other nostril. Again, he will have to breathe in deeply through the other nostril while the opposite nostril is still closed with the thumb.
These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration, United States. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Please consult your GP before the intake.

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