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  • Acquired Heart Disease

     
     
     
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    A heart disease that develops after birth is described as an acquired heart disease.  Children are less likely than adults to develop an acquired heart condition.  Among the most common heart conditions acquired during childhood are rheumatic heart disease and Kawasaki disease. 

    Children who have been diagnosed with and treated for congenital heart defects may be at increased risk of acquiring endocarditis and cardiomyopathy.  And some children and young adults develop abnormal heart beats.

  • Types of Acquired Heart Disease

    Abnormal Heart Rhythm

    An abnormal heart rhythm – or heart beat – is called an arrhythmia (a-RITH-mi-a) or dysrhythmia (dis-RITH-mi-a). The number of heart beats in a minute determines the heart rate. Normal heart rates change as a child matures. The heart of a newborn baby normally beats about 140 times per minute. A five-year-old may have a heart rate of 100 beats a minute. And the normal heart rate of an older child or teenager at rest is about 70 beats a minute.

    Cardiomyopathy

    In cardiomyopathy (car-dio-My-o-PA-thy), the heart muscle becomes inflamed and is unable to work as well as it should.

    Dilated Cardiomyopathy

    In dilated cardiomyopathy, the heart muscle becomes enlarged. As the heart becomes stretched, its lower chambers (ventricles) are less able to pump blood efficiently – and eventually, the heart is not able to pump enough blood to the body, a condition called heart failure. Abnormal heart rhythms may also result when the heart becomes enlarged.

    Endocarditis

    Endocarditis (en-do-CAR-DI-tis), or infective endocarditis, occurs when the membrane that lines the inside of the heart (the endocardium) becomes infected by bacteria or other germs. The infection may also affect the heart valves.

    High Blood Pressure (Hypertension)

    High blood pressure, or hypertension, affects 10 to 15 percent of the school-age population, according to several studies. Even babies can have high blood pressure.

    Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy

    Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HI-PER-TRO-fic CAR-dio-MY-op-a-thy) is a disease in which the muscles of the lower left chamber of the heart (the left ventricle) become thick and enlarged.

    Kawasaki Disease

    In Kawasaki disease, the body’s immune system attacks the body’s own tissues, including the blood vessels supplying blood to the heart (the coronary arteries) and the heart muscles. Medical scientists have not determined why the immune system does this.

    Kinds of Abnormal Heart Rhythms

    Some abnormal heart rhythms are fast, others are slow and some are irregular. How an arrhythmia is treated depends on the kind of abnormal beat. Read more about arrhythmias that most commonly develop in children and young adults:

    Rheumatic Heart Disease (Rheumatic Fever)

    In rheumatic (roo-MAT'ik) heart disease (also called rheumatic fever), the heart valves are damaged by substances (antibodies) that the body produces to fight streptococcal (strep) infection.

    The Heart’s Electrical System

    Each heart beat is generated by the heart's special electrical system. Specialized tissues within the heart generate electrical impulses that cause the heart muscles to contract, or squeeze tight.