The heart of a child : [electronic resource] what families need to know about heart disorders in children / Catherine A. Neill, Edward B. Clark, Carleen Clark.

Includes bibliographical references (p. 325-326) and index.

Introduction: The Heart of a Child -- Pt. I. Identifying a Child's Heart Problem and Its Causes. Ch. 1. Recognizing a Heart Problem. Ch. 2. The Developing Heart. Ch. 3. The Risk Factors for Heart Defects -- Pt. II. Heart Problems in Children. Ch. 4. Defects in the Developing Heart. Ch. 5. Conotruncal Defects. Ch. 6. Endocardial Cushion Defects. Ch. 7. Other Congenital Heart Defects. Ch. 8. Acquired Heart Problems -- Pt. III. The Treatment of Heart Defects. Ch. 9. Problems That Require No Treatment. Ch. 10. Problems That Require Emergency Treatment after Birth. Ch. 11. Problems That May Be Treated without Surgery. Ch. 12. Problems That May Be Treated Surgically in Infancy or Childhood. Ch. 13. Problems That Require Complex Treatment. Ch. 14. Complications of Childhood Heart Problems. Ch. 15. Children with Multiple Handicaps. Ch. 16. When Treatment Fails -- Pt. IV. The Child Grows Up. Ch. 17. Living with a Heart Problem. Ch. 18. Living with a Healthy Heart -- Conclusion: The Heart of a Child in the Twenty-first Century -- Appendix: Groups That Can Help.

For the anxious parents of children with heart problems, this book holds an important message: these are exciting and hopeful times for the treatment of children with heart disorders. Of the 25,000 infants with heart defects born each year in the United States - and the additional 40,000 children diagnosed with heart problems - nearly all benefit dramatically from early diagnosis and treatment. In ninety percent of cases, the problem either is too mild to need treatment.

or can be completely repaired. Surgery - when needed - is now rapid and effective. And remarkable new techniques for treatment and management continue to emerge each year. Written by experts in pediatric cardiology at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and the University of Rochester Medical Center, The Heart of a Child describes the latest developments in understanding and treating heart problems in children. Through case examples, question-and-answer.

sections, detailed drawings, and careful explanations, the authors explain the causes of heart disorders, how they are discovered and diagnosed, how they affect the child, and how they are treated. They offer a thorough summary of what parents, health professionals, teachers, and other family members need to know to be effective partners in the care of a child with a heart problem - from understanding basic physiology to evaluating options for treatment.