Hypoplastic left heart syndrome
Hypoplastic left heart syndrome Causes
Many experts believe that HLHS is caused by genetic factors.
Hypoplastic left heart syndrome Definition
Hypoplastic left heart syndrome, HLHS for short, is a condition characterized by severe malformation and underdevelopment of the left part of the heart. Individuals with HLHS experiences poor blood circulation since the right side of the heart compensates for the inefficiency of the left side. If left untreated, HLHS may lead to dangerously low blood circulation, shock and even death. HLHS is a rare condition that affects only 2 in every 100,000 live births.
Hypoplastic left heart syndrome Symptoms and Signs
A newborn with HLHS exhibits no symptoms. Signs of HLHS only appear after a few hours after birth to several days. The symptoms of HLHS include lethargy, poor ability to suckle and feed, rapid breathings, shortness of birth, enlarged liver, cold extremities, pounding heart, bluish or poor skin color and sudden death. Babies with HLHS have very small aorta and left ventricle. There is little of no blood flow since the mitral and aortic valves are either too small or are altogether close.
Hypoplastic left heart syndrome Treatment
An three-stage operation or a full heart transplant are the treatments for this condition. Before anything else though, the patient must be fully assessed by a cardiologist. As a temporary solution, medicines containing prostaglandin is given to the patent to keep the ductus open to allow continuous bloodflow. Though infants have a good chance of being treated of HLHS, those who have survived from this condition often experience chronic health problems later in the lives.