"Congenital Heart Defects In Babies"
Every year, 40,000 babies in the United States are born with a congenital heart defect and doctors say they’re on the rise. Shubhika Srivastava, MBBS, professor of pediatrics at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai said, “We are definitely seeing more patients with suspected congenital heart diseases and suspected cardiac problems because there’s been an increase in awareness.” Another reason for the spike is that doctors are able to spot the problems earlier thanks to improved prenatal screening. “In-vitro fertilization is now a new indication for screening for congenital heart disease,” Dr. Srivastava added. Many of the defects are identified before a baby is born, but if they aren’t, look out for symptoms such as gray or blue skin, rapid breathing, shortness of breath, poor feeding, little weight gain, or swelling in the legs, abdomen, or around the eyes.
- Shubhika Srivastava, MBBS, Professor, Pediatrics, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai