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These are the symptoms which should alert parents that their child may have a heart problem:

  1. Cynosis
    • As explained earlier this is the result of ‘blue blood’ returning to the body     without getting a chance to pass through the lungs.
  2. Easily tired on exertion, such as when feeding or crying
    • This is the result of the lack of oxygen for the body cells to use, as well as the result of the heart failure.
  3. Breathlessness either at rest or on exertion, poor feeding
    • This is because of heart failure
  4. Poor weight gain
    • The child does not grow well because of heart failure
  5. Frequent chest infections
    • The lugs are more prone to infections in many of these children
  6. Swelling of face and body
    • This is not common in children and represents severe heart failure

Many children with mild heart lesions will have no symptoms and may be picked up incidentally during a routine visit to the doctor.