“Hole in heart ”
Hello my son Thomas is 19 months old has a hole in his heart. I'm not sure how worried I should be. His blood level for iron, white and red cell counts have been up and down. He has a rash all threw out his body that comes and goes. He is sleepy a lot. Not sure how normal that is for a 19 month old. His weight has been up and down between 16lbs to 19lbs. He hasn't had much of an appetite. I need answers and the doctor won't give it to me. What signs should I look for before it's too late?
Male
Medications: Just a cream for rash
Conditions: Hole in heart
3 Answers
Hello!
A hole in the heart can occur between the upper chambers (atria) or lower chambers (ventricles.) A hole between the upper chambers (called an atrial septal defect or ASD) typically causes no symptoms at this age, though sometime if very big can cause breathing problems or lead to frequent lung infections. A hole between the upper chambers (a ventricular septal defect or VSD) can cause problems during infancy if big which can require medications and even surgery. In general, with smaller holes are not likely to cause symptoms and larger holes more likely.
You mention other symptoms and concerns that may or may not be related to the hole in his heart. Rashes are not likely related. I would advise bringing him back to his pediatrician or family physician and also a follow up with the pediatric cardiologist to sort out his symptoms and also to give you more information about the cardiac diagnosis.
All the best to you & your son!
A hole in the heart can occur between the upper chambers (atria) or lower chambers (ventricles.) A hole between the upper chambers (called an atrial septal defect or ASD) typically causes no symptoms at this age, though sometime if very big can cause breathing problems or lead to frequent lung infections. A hole between the upper chambers (a ventricular septal defect or VSD) can cause problems during infancy if big which can require medications and even surgery. In general, with smaller holes are not likely to cause symptoms and larger holes more likely.
You mention other symptoms and concerns that may or may not be related to the hole in his heart. Rashes are not likely related. I would advise bringing him back to his pediatrician or family physician and also a follow up with the pediatric cardiologist to sort out his symptoms and also to give you more information about the cardiac diagnosis.
All the best to you & your son!
First the location and size of the hole is important to determine if any symptoms are related. A small hole in the upper part of the heart (patent foramen ovale) will not cause any symptoms. A large hole in the lower part of the heart (ventricular septal defect or VSD) can cause decreased energy and appetite in certain circumstances. Many of the symptoms you listed would not correlate with a heart issue such as rashes and his blood count and iron level, so there may be other health concerns unrelated to the hole in his heart. You should consider discussing with your primary doctor a cardiac evaluation if you still have concerns regarding the hole in your son’s heart if it has not been evaluated for awhile since many of these holes seem in young infants can close spontaneously over time especially if they are small.
Hello, I would need to have more information about your kids heart condition. If he has large septal defect, it could be contributing to some of his symptoms. Thanks Ismael Gonzalez, MD
