Children with heart disease may present with a wide range of symptoms. The pages below describe common presentations and when to consider a pediatric cardiology evaluation.
Frequent Cough & Cold
Recurrent cough and cold beyond what a paediatrician would expect can sometimes be a sign of an underlying heart condition causing increased pulmonary blood flow.
Read MoreBreathing Difficulty
Fast or laboured breathing in a young child may reflect heart failure, pulmonary congestion or a duct-dependent lesion in the newborn.
Read MoreFrequent Pneumonia
Repeated pneumonia, especially with poor weight gain, can sometimes point to a congenital heart defect with increased lung blood flow.
Read MorePoor Weight Gain
Failure to thrive in infancy may have many causes; a significant heart defect with high pulmonary flow is one important reversible cause.
Read MoreBluish Discoloration of Body
Bluish discolouration (cyanosis) of the lips, tongue or fingertips can indicate low blood oxygen due to a cyanotic congenital heart defect and needs urgent evaluation.
Read MoreAbnormal Heart Sounds
An abnormal heart sound noted by your paediatrician should be evaluated by a pediatric cardiologist to determine if it is innocent or pathological.
Read MoreAbnormal Heart Murmurs
Most heart murmurs in children are innocent, but some indicate underlying structural heart disease and require echocardiographic assessment.
Read MoreChest Pain
Chest pain in children is most often non-cardiac, but a careful assessment is important to rule out cardiac, pulmonary and other serious causes.
Read MorePalpitation
Awareness of a fast or irregular heartbeat may indicate a rhythm disturbance such as SVT, PVCs or another arrhythmia.
Read MoreSwelling of Body
Swelling of the face, abdomen or limbs in a child can result from heart, kidney or liver disease and needs a careful work-up.
Read MoreIrregular Heart Beats
An irregular pulse in a child should be assessed to exclude arrhythmias like premature beats, AV block or atrial flutter.
Read MoreEasy Tiredness
Children who tire easily on exertion may have an underlying cardiac or respiratory cause that benefits from evaluation.
Read MoreLoss of Consciousness
Syncope (fainting) in children is usually benign vasovagal, but some types signal a serious cardiac or rhythm cause and need cardiology assessment.
Read MoreFrequent Leg Pain
Recurring leg pain or cramping is usually musculoskeletal but in rare cases can reflect peripheral vascular abnormality or coarctation of the aorta.
Read MorePediatric ECG Abnormalities
An abnormal ECG in a child should be reviewed by a pediatric cardiologist, since paediatric ECG ranges differ from adults and many findings are age-related normal.
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