CHD is usually detected within the first few months after birth. Signs that your child may be suffering from a severe CHD include:

Gray or blue skin Difficulty breathing Feeding difficulties Poor weight gain Low blood pressure Swelling in the legs, abdomen, or around the eyes Signs of a less severe CHD include:

• Swelling in the hands and feet
• Shortness of breath
• Exhaustion
• Fainting during physical activity

If your child is exhibiting any of the above symptoms, it’s important that you contact a cardiologist in Tampa Bay as soon as possible.

Once your child is under the care of a board-certified cardiologist, a number of tests can be performed to diagnose the CHD. An echocardiogram, electrocardiogram, and chest X-ray are all painless, non-invasive tests that can be performed to accurately determine if your child has a heart defect. What follows are the eight most common congenital heart defects that an individual can be diagnosed with:

• Ventricular septal defect
• Atrial septal defect
• Tetralogy of fallot
• Single ventricle defects
• Pulmonary valve stenosis
• Patent ductus arteriosus
• Dextro-transposition of the great arteries
• Aortic valve stenosis

There are many additional defects that could be affecting your child. The survival of someone diagnosed with a heart defect depends upon the severity of the defect, how early it is diagnosed, and how it is treated. Remember, diagnosis and treatment can’t come early enough for a child suffering from CHD.