An open oval window in the child's heart: is it dangerous?

An open oval window in the heart of a child is a problem that is quite common in modern pediatrics. But what really constitutes such a violation and how dangerous is it for health?

What is an open oval window in a child?

During the period of intrauterine development the child's body receives oxygen only from the mother's blood. And between the two atriums there is this most oval window, thanks to which the cells of the central nervous system receive the maximum amount of oxygenated and nutrient-rich blood. Immediately after birth, the edges of the oval window grow together. Most children close it in the first days of life. Approximately 30% of infants oval window remains at least partially open to the year. But sometimes this hole between the atria does not close - in this case the baby needs qualified help.

Open oval window in the child's heart and its causes

Unfortunately, the causes of such a pathology can not be determined quite often - and to this day active studies of this issue are being conducted. Nevertheless, it is proved that such a disorder is associated with the presence of other pathologies. The risk increases if a woman abuses alcohol and tobacco during pregnancy.

Open oval window in the child's heart: the main symptoms

In fact, the presence of an open hole in the heart in most cases does not cause any visible symptoms. Quite often, pathology is discovered quite accidentally during ultrasound examination of the circulatory system. Nevertheless, there are a number of signs, which are worth paying attention to:

• For example, quite often during crying, crying or physical strain you can see blue skin in the nasolabial triangle area.
• Often, an open oval window in children leads to a slowdown in normal physical development.
• Signs can also include frequent colds and diseases of the respiratory system.
• As the child grows, parents notice that the baby is almost incapable of physical activity, for example, during active play, respiratory failure may develop.
• Children with this diagnosis can often lose consciousness because of a lack of blood circulation in the brain.

Open oval window in the heart of a child: diagnosis and treatment

In the presence of disturbing symptoms it is necessary to show the baby to the doctor and tell him about all suspicions. As a rule, in order to confirm the diagnosis, it is enough to do an ultrasound examination of the heart. After the pathology has been detected, the child should be constantly under the control of a cardiologist and undergo regular studies. As a rule, experts recommend that parents wait with radical measures of treatment, since in most cases the oval window closes by itself. In addition, statistics argue that in almost 25% of the adult population the oval window was not completely closed. Only in especially severe cases, if pathology is a threat to the life of the child, the doctor prescribes a surgical operation, during which the hole is closed artificially.