Pre-School Information for Parents

Children with congenital heart disease not operated, with residual defects after surgery or who have undergone palliative surgeries are three times greater risk of respiratory infections than other children or that children operated without residual lesions, as have said experts at the ‘Eighth National Congress of Pediatric Cardiology and Congenital Heart Diseases, held this weekend in Toledo.

Specifically, the probability of admission for bronchiolitis in these cases is approximately between 9 and 10 percent during the first two years of life, compared to between 2 to 3 percent in the case of healthy infants, said Dr. Luis Garcia-Guereta, Pediatric Cardiology Service of Hospital Universitario La Paz.

As part of a panel dedicated to parents with children suffering from congenital heart disease, organized with the collaboration of the Foundation and Abbott Hearts Giblets, experts have stressed that respiratory infections are the most frequent cause of hospitalization in infants and young children in the developed countries. Moreover, risk groups, including children with congenital heart disease, increased morbidity and mortality and delay or complicate planned interventions.

In this sense, prevention is especially important in these cases, “because for bronchiolitis or no treatment or vaccine is strongly recommended the use of monoclonal antibodies, which are given monthly during the greater risk of an epidemic, usually October to March, “says Dr. Garcia-Guereta.

“They should use in the case of high-risk patients such as premature babies, patients with some congenital heart disease, patients with severe lung disease in their first year or first two years of age,” says this expert.

PREVENTION IN THE ENVIRONMENT

In this line, prevention also starts with the child’s environment, where parents should take special care of these patients, because they are much weaker than normal children their own age.

In fact, “can and do” have injuries that affect the situation of that patient’s lungs are more susceptible to pulmonary complications, according to experts. In this regard, experts stress that “it is best to try to prevent infection.” For example, respiratory syncytial virus is transmitted by air and through objects such as pacifiers, toys and medical scanning equipment.

The infection is “highly contagious” and can be purchased “with some frequency” in the tails of the doctors’ offices or hospitals, they say. For this reason, it is “very important” – suggest – washing hands and disinfecting them, cleaning and washing children’s toys and avoid contact with other sick children.

With regard to vaccination, doctors recommend that patients follow the immunization schedule, including vaccination against pneumococcus, which is only valid in some regions. Should also be immunized against influenza when they are older than 6 months, though in the case of children under that age to be vaccinated were families and carers.

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