In Turkey where about 1.35 million births take place, congenital cardiac diseases causing several undesirable outcomes such as sudden cardiac deaths, heart valve diseases and even heart transplantation have their impacts on 8 in every 1000 infants and are in the first place among congenital diseases. 25 percent of babies born with congenital cardiac diseases need either an intervention or operation. Approximately 15 percent of these babies are lost until before 18 years old because they cannot access timely diagnosis or treatment.
Saying that every child can be saved from the adverse outcomes of congenital heart abnormalities which are some of the most important causes of sudden cardiac deaths that are frequently observed among school-age children by a simple ECG scan, Robotic Heart Surgery Specialist Prof. İhsan Bakır, M.D. added, “If such children are not followed up, cases which may cause critical risks and even end up with heart transplantation can be observed. During my duty as Secretary General of Bakırköy and Çekmece Region, we carried out an online screening program for school-age children with Ministry of Health between 2013 and 2016. In 19 districts in İstanbul and Edirne, 637 thousand children were targeted and about 375 thousand children were screened. Suspicious findings were achieved in about 47 thousand of them and they were referred to examination. Cardiac problems were detected including structural, conductive and both problems in 1500 of them and treatments were commenced. All of them were children whose family thought they were healthy. What it means is that congenital cardiac abnormalities can be missed in prenatal screening. The screenings during pregnancy can detect only the severe forms of congenital heart diseases most of the time.”
IT IS RISKY EVEN THAT SUCH A CHILD EATS A GRAPEFRUIT.
Pointing out “For example, it is of critical risk that a child with a conductive problem in his/her heart use some of the antibiotics, eat fruits such as grapefruit, drink caffeinated drinks such as cola”, Prof. İhsan Bakır, M.D. says, “How could the family know about it if the child bears no signs of disease? The statistics show that abnormality is expected in 2 in every 100 students. Such children may require surgery or can be followed up with medication. As long as they are screened and kept under supervision. I suggest parents have their children undergone ECG once when starting the primary school. As ECHO is not performed as soon as the child is born, screening should be performed at least when they start the school so that any possible disease can be kept under control sooner. Heart abnormalities manifest themselves at the age of 10-15 years at most. Because the organ gets tired until that age. It is much better to take early precaution before that stage.”
FAMILY HISTORY IS ALSO IMPORTANT
Informing about sudden cardiac death and rhythm disorders during childhood, Prof. İhsan Bakır, M.D. adds, “Sudden cardiac death is an unexpected cardiovascular-related death that develops 1 hour after the onset of symptoms in a previously healthy child. Its most common causes include structural and functional diseases in the heart, arrhythmias, and aortic stenosis, ruptures among congenital heart diseases and Marfan syndrome, and congenital coronary abnormalities.”
Emphasizing that the most common symptoms are syncope (sudden fainting) related to exercise, fear or excitement, seizure, faints triggered by fever, and rapid and irregular heartbeat especially during exercise, Prof. İhsan Bakır, M.D. continues, “History of heart disease or sudden cardiac death before 40 years of age, history of some congenital heart diseases, family members with unexplained fainting or attacks, and sudden infant death syndrome in the family history are prominent familial risk factors for the child.”