Is it worth doing an ultrasound to the heart of a child

Echocardiography, or ultrasound of the heart - is a method of research that helps to identify the presence of individual structural changes or other anomalies in the heart that occur with different malformations or diseases.
Often parents ask themselves whether it is worth doing an ultrasound of the heart to a child.
In fact, echocardiography is widely used to diagnose vices in the development of the heart in children, diseases of the heart muscle (myocardium), heart valve diseases, large vessels, heart bag, etc.
Ultrasound is an absolutely safe and painless method of examination.

Ultrasound is considered to be a simple and affordable method of examination, which allows you to identify some of the heart diseases before the onset of their symptoms. Now there are many clinics where you can do an ultrasound of the heart to your child.

The doctor prescribes an ultrasound examination when there are noises in the heart, suspicion of diseases leading to illnesses (rheumatism, etc.). The doctor will decide whether it is worth doing an ultrasound of the heart to the child, if there is a suspicion of the presence of congenital heart disease.

Many modern devices combine classic ultrasound with dopplerography - a method that helps to see how the blood moves in the heart chambers.
No further preparation is required for this survey. This procedure can be carried out even if necessary several times a day.

If the child already realizes what exactly he will have to go through - it is very important to adjust the small patient psychologically. Calm yourself by all means, and try to calm the baby. Never discuss serious abnormalities in a child. And, of course, assure him that it does not hurt at all - it's really so.

Ultrasound of the newborn's heart is carried out exactly as you did it during pregnancy. The child is spread on the chest with a gel, then they begin to carry it through a special sensor. The kid can even fidget a little. The results of the study will not affect this in any way. Therefore, there is no need to doubt whether it is worth doing an ultrasound of the heart to the child, because it can identify the existing defects in the early stages of development.

The procedure takes approximately 15 minutes. A qualified specialist will need to decipher the results. If necessary, consult a cardiologist. It is better to have the results of a cardiogram, as well as blood and urine tests before ultrasound. When performing ultrasound of the heart, you can identify many heart rate indicators that only the doctor will evaluate (individually for each patient).

When performing ultrasound, usually pay attention to what size the heart chambers have, what is the thickness of their walls, what are the outlines and work of the heart valves, the movement of the heart muscle, etc. Changes in any of the parameters indicate different heart diseases.

Congenital malformations are a group of defects in the heart that arise in utero and are the result of many adverse factors affecting the fetus.

The ultrasound examination is so tightly integrated into our life, so that no one is surprised to receive a referral to ultrasound immediately after the birth of the baby. Nothing strange and terrible in this. Although, of course, there are as many opponents of ultrasound as there are fans today.

Ultrasound is prescribed only if there are serious indications. However, in recent years, more often this procedure is recommended to be carried out "for reinsurance" starting from the first hours of the baby's life. Naturally, you yourself have the right to decide whether it is worth doing an ultrasound of the heart to the child for this purpose or not. Experts say that the method of ultrasound is completely safe. In this procedure, mechanical wave oscillations are used, in contrast to X-rays. However, many consider themselves ardent opponents of many ultrasound studies.

In any case, the doctor you fully trust will explain to you how to proceed exactly in your case. However, if there are even the slightest doubt and suspicions about the health of a small heart - do not postpone ultrasound, and even more so do not give it up! It is much better to learn about the problem in time or to convince that it does not exist, than to experience and lose precious time.