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Cardiology (Pediatrics)

Pediatrics

When a child has a heart condition, we’re here to support them and their family with care and compassion. Our friendly team provides thorough diagnostic services to understand their heart health and offers treatments for both congenital (born with) heart conditions and other types of heart disease. We make sure your child gets the right care in a gentle and comforting way, helping them feel supported, safe and ready to live their best life.

 

 

 

 

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This page is for our littlest patients.

We are proud of how we provide cardiovascular care for grown-ups and kids. 

Kids are at the heart of what we do

You want the best care possible when it comes to your child’s heart. Whether it’s an alarming dizzy spell during sports or a family history of heart issues, we’re here to support you. We provide complete diagnostic and treatment services for children of all ages, from newborns to young adults, with heart disease or other heart conditions.

Our experienced team works closely with the specialists at Boston Children’s Hospital to ensure your child gets the best care available. We focus on providing not just medical expertise, but also comfort and support for your family. From diagnosis to treatment, we’re here to guide you through every step of your child’s heart care.

Pediatric patient getting their heart examined with a stethoscope by a doctor while sitting on hospital bed with parent.
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Conditions

Heart issues can develop at any time, and it’s even possible to detect and begin treatment for heart problems in babies before birth! No matter their age, if your child experiences symptoms like a fast or slow heartbeat, difficulty breathing, chest pain, dizziness or fainting, it’s important to address the issue right away. We specialize in managing conditions such as:

Atrial fibrillation
Heart murmur
Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM)
Kawasaki disease
Myocarditis
Congenital heart disease

Did you know that more than a million adults across the U.S. live with congenital heart defects thanks to dramatic improvements in detection and treatment?

While many cases are now identified before or right after birth, some are not detected until a situation arises, such as an infant turning blue, fainting, irregular heartbeat or shortness of breath. Eight children per 1,000 are born with a heart defect while 1 to 2 in 1,000 will require surgery or intervention in the first year of life. We treat all congenital heart disease, including structural defects in the heart’s chamber walls, valves and arteries.

With the proper care, children born with congenital heart defects and heart conditions can expect to live full and happy lives.

Fetal cardiology

Pregnancy can be challenging enough, and a serious heart condition in your unborn baby brings more anxiety and concern. And if something is wrong with your child’s heart, you want to know immediately. We provide early treatment and expert care for fetal heart defects. We can spot structural heart problems in fetuses as young as 19 weeks old. This provides a crucial head start - the sooner structural abnormalities in your child’s heart can be detected, the earlier planning for treatment can start.

Heart rhythm

While some heart rate problems are identified in utero, others may not become apparent until later in childhood and adolescence. Palpitations, shortness of breath, chest pains and dizziness or fainting are possible signs your child may have a heart rhythm issue that needs to be checked out. Even if there are no visible symptoms, you may want your child to be evaluated if there is a family history of hereditary conditions that can lead to heart rhythm abnormalities.

We offer a wide range of treatments and monitoring, from cardiac monitoring to exercise stress testing. If it's recommended that your child receive a pacemaker, implantable cardiac defibrillator (ICD) or catheter ablations, we are ready. We specialize in treating conditions including, but not limited to:

  • Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome
  • Long QT syndrome
  • Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy
  • Brugada syndrome
  • Arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy
Heart surgery

If heart surgery is recommended for your child, we collaborate with Boston Children's Hospital to provide great surgical care. We will continue to care for your child as they recover from their surgery and any additional needs.

stethescope

Testing

The right treatment starts with the right diagnosis. If you or your child’s primary care doctor suspects a heart problem, our team will evaluate your child using advanced technology in a comforting, child-friendly setting. We take a thorough approach, looking at your child’s whole heart and overall health. To help us understand the issue, we may use a variety of tests, including:

  • Chest X-ray
  • Echocardiogram
  • EKG
  • Fetal electrocardiographs
  • MRI
  • Pulse oximetry
  • Stress test
  • Ultrasound
hands-heart

Treatments

Once we have a clear picture of your child’s heart condition, we’ll design a treatment plan with their health and happiness in mind. We’ll make sure you understand all the options, and we’re here to support you throughout the entire process. Some of the treatments we might offer include:

  • Cardiac catheterization
  • Implants + defibrillator
  • Medication
  • Monitoring
  • Surgery
Anasuya Gunturi MD, PhD talks with patient at Lowell General Hospital's Women's Wellness Center clinic appointment.
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