Preparing for an appointment

If your child has a life-threatening heart defect, it will likely be diagnosed soon after birth, or possibly before birth during a pregnancy ultrasound.

If you think your child has a heart defect that wasn't recognized at birth, talk to your child's doctor. Be prepared to describe your child's symptoms and provide a family medical history, since some heart defects tend to be passed down through families (are inherited).

Write down the following and bring the notes with you to your appointment:

• Any signs and symptoms your child is having, including any that may seem unrelated to heart problems.
• When each symptom began.
• All medications, vitamins or supplements that the child's mother took during pregnancy. Include herbs and supplements and any medicines bought without a prescription.
• Any medical conditions the mother of the child has or had.
• Whether or not the mom drank alcohol during pregnancy.

What you can do

Your time with your doctor is limited, so preparing a list of questions can help you make the most of your time together. You might want to ask questions such as:

• What tests does my child need? Do these tests require any special preparation?
• Does my child need treatment? If so, when?
• What is the best treatment?
• Do you think my child will have any long-term complications?
• How can we monitor for possible complications?
• If I have more children, how likely are they to have a congenital heart defect?
• Are there any brochures or other printed material that I can take home with me? What websites do you recommend visiting?

What to expect from your doctor

Your doctor is likely to ask you many questions. Being ready to answer them may save time to go over anything you want to spend more time on. Your doctor may ask:

• When did you first notice your child's symptoms?
• Can you describe your child's symptoms?
• When do these symptoms occur?
• Do the symptoms come and go, or does your child always have them?
• Do the symptoms seem to be getting worse?
• Do you have a family history of congenital heart defects?
• Does anything make your child's symptoms better?
• Has your child been growing and meeting developmental milestones as expected? (Ask your child's pediatrician if you're not sure.)