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Preparing for your appointment
By Mayo Clinic staffWhen you contact your baby's doctor about your concerns, he or she may ask you to schedule an appointment or immediately refer you to a heart specialist for children (pediatric cardiologist). This will depend on the severity of the signs and symptoms you have described over the phone.
Because there's often a lot of ground to cover, it's a good idea to be well prepared for your appointment. Here's some information to help you get ready for your appointment and what you can expect from your doctor.
What you can do
If possible, compile a thorough medical history from both sides of your baby's family. Some heart problems are inherited, so it's helpful if you can let your doctor know if anyone in your child's family has ever had early heart problems.
It's also helpful to prepare a list of questions ahead of time so you can make the most of your time together with your baby's doctor. Here's a sampling of questions you might want to ask:
- What kinds of tests will my child undergo?
- What are the options for treatment? What are the possible complications of treatment?
- What is the long-term outlook for my child?
- What impact would a heart defect or the subsequent treatment have on another condition my baby has?
- If I have another baby in the future, is there any way to prevent this from happening again?
- Are there any brochures or other printed material that I can take home with me? What websites do you recommend visiting?
In addition to the questions that you've prepared to ask your baby's doctor, don't hesitate to ask questions that may come up during your appointment.
What to expect from your doctor
Your child's doctor will likely ask you the following questions:
- Does your baby ever appear blue?
- How long are feeding times, or how much does your baby drink?
- How often and how long is your baby sleeping?
- How does your baby respond to touch?
- Have you noticed changes in any of these behaviors?
When your baby was born, your baby's height, weight and head circumference were recorded, and these measurements are taken at all regularly scheduled appointments with your child's doctor. He or she will repeat these measurements during a special appointment and determine if there has been any delay in growth.
Your baby's doctor will also listen to your baby's lungs to assess his or her breathing and the possibility of fluid in the lungs. The doctor will listen to your baby's heart to determine if there are irregular heartbeats (arrhythmia) or an abnormal whooshing sound caused by turbulent blood flow (heart murmur).
For babies with truncus arteriosus, much of their medical care is provided by a pediatric cardiologist along with a pediatric cardiac surgeon and often a whole team of specialized staff.
- Hirsh JC, et al. Congenital heart disease. In: Doherty GM. Current Diagnosis and Treatment: Surgery. 13th ed. New York, N.Y.: McGraw-Hill; 2010. http://www.accessmedicine.com/content.aspx?aID=5215009. Accessed April 16, 2010.
- Specific cardiac defects. In: Libby P, et al. Braunwald's Heart Disease: A Textbook of Cardiovascular Medicine. 8th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders Elsevier; 2007. http://www.mdconsult.com/book/player/book.do?method=display&type=bookPage&decorator=header&eid=4-u1.0-B978-1-4160-4106-1..50064-9--cesec197&displayedEid=4-u1.0-B978-1-4160-4106-1..50064-9--cesec319&uniq=195744492&isbn=978-1-4160-4106-1&sid=984783871. Accessed April 16, 2010.
- Persistent truncus arteriosus. The Merck Manuals: The Merck Manual for Healthcare Professionals. http://www.merck.com/mmpe/print/sec19/ch287/ch287k.html. Accessed April 16, 2010.
- Sondheimer HM, et al. Cardiovascular diseases. In: Hay WW, et al. Current Diagnosis and Treatment: Pediatrics. 19th ed. New York, N.Y.: McGraw-Hill Medical; 2009. http://www.accessmedicine.com/content.aspx?aID=3402846. Accessed April 16, 2010.
- Truncus arteriosus. American Heart Association. http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=11073. Accessed April 16, 2010.
- Congenital heart defects. March of Dimes. http://www.marchofdimes.com/professionals/14332_1212.asp. Accessed April 16, 2010.
- Koenig PR, et al. Congenital coronary artery abnormalities. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed April 6, 2010.
- Sullivan KE. Chromosome 22q11.2 deletion syndrome: DiGeorge syndrome/velocardiofacial syndrome. Immunology and Allergy Clinics of North America. 2008;28:353.
- Cyanotic congenital heart disease: Lesions associated with increased pulmonary blood flow. In: Kliegman MD, et al. Nelson's Textbook of Pediatrics. 18th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders Elsevier; 2007. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/195744492-3/0/1608/1010.html?tocnode=54483014&fromURL=1010.html#4-u1.0-B978-1-4160-2450-7..50433-3_8277. Accessed April 16, 2010.
- Verhaert D, et al. Truncus arteriosus with aortic arch interruption: Cardiovascular magnetic resonance findings in the unrepaired adult. Journal of Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance. 2010;12:16.
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