Health & Wellness Library

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  • Heart-healthy recipes: One day, three meals

    Article

    Heart-healthy recipes: One day, three meals

    Foods that are good for our heart health are good for our overall health. A heart-healthy diet can help prevent or manage conditions like high blood pressure and high cholesterol.

  • Is your child's heart rate healthy?

    Article

    Is your child's heart rate healthy?

    Your child's heart rate (also called pulse) can vary wildly throughout the day. Heart rate is the number of times the heart beats each minute. Daily activities can change how fast or slow the rate fluctuates – from a slow, steady beat while resting or sleeping to a higher rate during exercise.

  • Common types of congenital heart defects

    Infographic

    Common types of congenital heart defects

    Congenital heart defects are the most common type of birth defect, affecting approximately 1 in every 100 babies born in the U.S. Out of the about 40,000 babies born with a heart defect each year, approximately 7,200 have a critical congenital heart defect which requires surgery or a procedure in their first year of life. However, as detection and treatments of congenital heart disease rapidly advance, outcomes for children with congenital heart defects are improving.

  • A new heart for a one-in-a-million girl

    Article

    A new heart for a one-in-a-million girl

    Though she seemed perfectly healthy during her first year of life, Ellie's pediatrician noticed she wasn't growing at her 12-month appointment. The doctor placed Ellie on a special diet and asked her mom, Michelle, to bring her back in a month. It was at this appointment that the pediatrician first heard a murmur in Ellie's heart.

  • A young athlete moves forward after sudden cardiac arrest

    Article

    A young athlete moves forward after sudden cardiac arrest

    From the moment she was born, Amanda had been a perfectly healthy child. For 13 years, she experienced and enjoyed all the things a young child experiences – friendships, school and sports. Nowhere along the way was there any indication Amanda may have a heart condition.

  • First aid and CPR for sudden cardiac arrest in children

    Article

    First aid and CPR for sudden cardiac arrest in children

    While rare, sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) can affect infants, children and teens and can be fatal if cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is not administered quickly – usually in a matter of minutes. Structural or functional problems with a child’s heart, irregular heart rhythms (arrhythmias) or genetic syndromes can increase the risk of SCA. While some of these conditions are identified, monitored and treated from birth, certain rhythmic or structural problems don’t produce symptoms until SCA occurs. Frequently dangerous heart conditions are recognized when a family history of SCA is present.

  • A single ventricle defect leads Harper to Children's Health

    Article

    A single ventricle defect leads Harper to Children's Health

    When Brittany went in for her 20-week anatomy scan during her pregnancy with her daughter Harper, she and her husband, Ben, didn't expect to see anything out of the ordinary. Even when the technician had difficulties seeing all four chambers of Harper's heart, the couple was told not to be too concerned and that maybe it was just the way she was positioned in the womb at the time. The couple scheduled a follow-up sonogram with a specialist four weeks later. It was an appointment Brittany and Ben will never forget.

  • Four lives changed in one week, without missing a beat

    Video

    Four lives changed in one week, without missing a beat

    From just 12 weeks to 12 years old, four special patients received new hearts all in the same week at the Heart Center at Children’s Health℠. Watch the video above to meet Abby, Adriel, Alex and Phoenix – and celebrate their incredible journey to a renewed opportunity for a happy, healthy life.

  • High cholesterol in kids: What causes high cholesterol in a child?

    Article

    High cholesterol in kids: What causes high cholesterol in a child?

    Though you might think of cholesterol as an adult-only health concern, it is an essential part of your child's health. Understanding childhood cholesterol and making simple lifestyle and dietary choices can help prevent serious health risks in your child's future.

  • What is radiation-free heart catheterization and how does it protect young patients?

    Article

    What is radiation-free heart catheterization and how does it protect young patients?

    Children born with congenital heart disease often need multiple tests and procedures, including X-ray-dependent cardiac catheterization. While these procedures can be helpful in diagnosing and treating heart conditions, they can also cause overexposure to radiation, especially in patients who will need multiple procedures over their lifetime — which can be harmful to your child's health.

  • 3D heart imaging: A new dimension to cardiac care

    Article

    3D heart imaging: A new dimension to cardiac care

    When your child has a heart condition, you want to understand everything about that condition, their treatment options and the procedures they undergo. What if you could see your child's heart in order to visualize exactly what’s happening? Now, you can.

  • 10 Ways to keep your child's heart healthy

    Article

    10 Ways to keep your child's heart healthy

    Take charge of your child’s heart health by developing habits now that will reap benefits later in life. According to Dr. Colin Kane, pediatric cardiologist at Children’s Health℠, the most effective way to do this is to make healthy living a priority for the whole family.

  • The biggest misconception about heart health in kids

    Video

    The biggest misconception about heart health in kids

    Heart disease is a leading cause of death among men and women in the U.S. Approximately one in 200 of those individuals have an inherited form of heart disease – meaning that individuals who look healthy, eat healthy and get plenty of exercise can still be at risk of having a heart attack.

  • Causes and treatment of heart murmurs in children

    Article

    Causes and treatment of heart murmurs in children

    When it comes to your child's heart, anything “irregular” can seem scary. Heart murmurs can certainly fall into that category, but most of the time, murmurs are not anything to be afraid of, according to Thomas Zellers, M.D., pediatric interventional cardiologist at Children's Health and Professor at UT Southwestern.

  • How AEDs can save kids' lives

    Article

    How AEDs can save kids' lives

    Sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) occurs when the heart suddenly stops beating. It can affect people of all ages, anywhere – and left untreated, can cause death in just minutes.

  • What causes chest pain in children?

    Article

    What causes chest pain in children?

    If your child complains of chest pain, you may feel alarmed or concerned about your child's heart. But according to Colin Kane, M.D., pediatric cardiologist at Children's Health and Associate Professor of Pediatrics at UT Southwestern, there are many possible causes of chest pain in children.

  • Long-term effects of congenital heart disease

    Article

    Long-term effects of congenital heart disease

    Today, over 3 million children and adults are living with congenital heart disease, and new treatments and technologies are bringing greater hope to families. In fact, in 2005, the number of adults living with a congenital heart defect outnumbered that of children living with a congenital heart defect for the first time. This means there is tremendous hope for children diagnosed with congenital heart disease.

  • Which heart screenings are necessary for athletes?

    Article

    Which heart screenings are necessary for athletes?

    Every parent wants to keep his or her child safe. For many parents of athletes, it's not just sprains and strains that cause anxiety; it's the possibility of an undiscovered heart condition.

  • Screening for heart disease in children

    Article

    Screening for heart disease in children

    In another recent post, you learned how childhood obesity can be a significant risk factor for heart disease, especially when it’s accompanied by factors such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes or prediabetes, physical inactivity and an unhealthy diet. The first line of defense against childhood obesity includes incorporating more physical exercise and nutritious foods into a child’s lifestyle.

  • The power of a hopeful heart

    Article

    The power of a hopeful heart

    When Casey speaks about her heart condition, it's easy to forget that she’s just a teenager. With bravery, poise and knowledge, she shares how she was born with a heart defect and how now, 15 years later, she's grateful to have received a heart transplant. Casey's mom, Bethany, always knew that a transplant would be the ultimate "fix" for her daughter's condition – she just never imagined it would happen this way.

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