Overview

What is hypoplastic left heart syndrome in a child?

Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome (HLHS) is a family of blights of the heart and great blood vessels. It is present at birth or congenital heart disease and occurs when the heart's corridor does not develop as planned during the first 8 weeks of gestation.

In hypoplastic left heart syndrome, most of the left side of the heart's structures are small and poorly developed. The following structure is often involved: the mitral valve.This valve controls the flow of blood between the left ventricle and the left patio.

Left ventricle- The lowest left ventricle of the heart pumps blood throughout the body.
Aortic valve- This valve controls blood flow from the left ventricle into the aorta and the body.
Aorta- The big highway that carries blood from the left ventricle into the body.

The left ventricle is typically very powerful and can pump blood to the body. However, if it is small and underdeveloped, it might not pump enough blood or may not pump at every beat. For that reason, babies with hypoplastic left heart syndrome don't live long unless the deformity is corrected surgically.

What are the symptoms of hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS) in a child?

Babies with HLHS usually present the following symptoms almost immediately after birth:

Bluish discoloration of the skin, lips, or nails (cyanosis)
Pale skin
Sweaty, glacial, or cold skin
Dyspnea
Tachy twinkle
Cold bases
Bases with weak palpitation
Inadequate feeding

Symptoms of Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome may be similar to those of other diseases and heart conditions. Always have your child diagnosed by a medical expert.

What causes hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS) in a child?

Hypoplastic Left Heart syndrome develops in the womb as a baby's heart develops. The cause is unknown. However, if one child has Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome, the chance that another child may be affected increases. A standard heart contains four chambers, one on each side—the right and the left sides. In its primary role of pumping blood throughout the body, each side of the heart works in different areas.

The right side carries blood to the lungs, which is amended with oxygen and then moves to the left side of the heart, which pumps blood into a large blood vessel called the aorta that takes oxygen-rich blood to the rest of the body.

What are the diagnosis and test of hypoplastic left heart pattern (HLHS)?

In most instances, an ultrasound performed on your baby while in the womb (uterus) can establish Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome. After your baby's birth, they may appear limp or lifeless; they can breathe poorly or have cyanotic nails, lips, or skin. All these manifestations may present to you or your doctor.

Your child should be seen by a pediatric cardiologist for an opinion. This doctor is specially trained in treating heart conditions in children. The cardiologist will examine your baby, hear his heart and lungs, and make further compliances. Tests for cognitive heart disease vary. Your child may have the following tests

Chest x-ray: A chest x-ray may reveal problems in HLHS.
Electrocardiogram (ECG): An EKG records the electrical exertion of the heart. It can show abnormal measures (arrhythmias) and damage to the heart muscle.
Echocardiogram (echo): An echo uses sound swells to make a moving picture of the heart and heart valves.

How is hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS) treated?

Yes, initially, your baby will require medications called prostaglandins to maintain the ductus arteriosus patency. Other drugs are also used to improve the efficiency of your baby's heart. Your baby may also not be able to breathe on her/his own. Then, a course of pushes is required to get the blood flow toward the lungs and into the body. In these interventions, the workload is shifted from the left ventricle to the right ventricle, which has to do all the pumping.

Why Tender Palm Super-Speciality Hospital for Pediatric Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome?

Tender Palm Hospital has the most experienced team of Pediatric Cardiologists, Pediatric Cardiac Surgeons, and diagnostics with the latest and International standard infection control measures in Lucknow, India. The Pediatric Cardiac Science Centre team has decades of experience in successfully treating Pediatric Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome.