• Source:JND
Add as a preferred

Without any doubt, your heart is “the best pump designed by nature,” which can last almost a century (3.94 billion beats) if handled carefully and not abused. Interestingly, the entire cardiac structure is completely formed by the end of the fourth month of gestation. Thereafter, for the next five months of pregnancy, the heart structures only mature in size, capacity, and function. In the initial stages of formation, if any process is not aligned with normal development, different combinations of heart defects can occur. If not diagnosed in time, these defects can significantly impact the child’s life.

It is appropriate to say it’s a defect and not a disease, and therefore, if recognized in time and treated appropriately, it can lead to the normal functioning of the heart and a healthy life. In a conversation with Jagran English, Dr. Smruti Rajan Mohanty, who is a Consultant in Paediatric Cardiovascular Surgery at Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital in Mumbai, spoke about heart defects in newborns: Early Diagnosis Can Make All the Difference.

According to Dr. Smruti Rajan Mohanty, in the mother’s womb, the baby’s circulation is partially supported by the placenta, which is the best oxygenator (ECMO) designed by God. Once the baby is born and the heart has to take over the entire circulation, any congenital defect in the structure of the heart or its components will manifest.

In fact, during pregnancy, a routine ultrasound or echocardiography can detect heart defects with up to 99% accuracy. After birth, if a heart defect is suspected due to symptoms like rapid breathing, increased pulse rate, excessive perspiration, or overt cyanosis (blue baby syndrome) of the lips and nail beds, or frequent chest infections, it must be evaluated. In many instances, parents may even notice rapid heartbeats or a cat’s purr-like thrill over the left chest. A basic examination including echocardiography, ECG, and chest X-ray can confirm the diagnosis in most cases, while cardiac catheterization or CT scan may be required in a few cases for further details.

Whatever the defect may be—of which there are roughly 127 varieties—most can be accurately diagnosed and corrected through appropriate surgery (rectifying the structural defect by open-heart surgery). Since it is a mechanical defect, the congenital heart surgeon is more like an engineer who closes holes, corrects wrong connections, repairs valves, or constructs new pathways, added Dr. Smruti Rajan Mohanty.

Finally, Dr. Smruti Rajan Mohanty said that the most gratifying part is that if the defect is appropriately fixed in time, the repaired hearts can function normally for a lifetime, mostly without the need for medication—though close follow-up is essential to monitor the heart’s performance. Congenital heart surgery is a life-changing experience for both the baby and the medical team. It is like an orchestra played with synchrony and harmony—a melodious sonnet, if performed in time and with the right notes.