Think HEART - recognising heart problems at home

Many babies with heart problems are not diagnosed before birth, so it is important to recognise the signs of a baby with heart problems after a baby has been delivered.

This is especially important in the first days and weeks after birth, when certain undetected heart conditions can cause illness and can even be fatal.

If a baby is not feeding well and does not seem to have an infection or any other common cause, you should check the following 5 signs of a heart problem.

H.E.A.R.T. - 5 key signs

If a baby fails to thrive, there are 5 key signs that may indicate a heart problem.   The word HEART points to a range of symptoms that although non-specific may be signs of an underlying heart defect needing urgent attention:

Heart rate - too fast or slow? (normally 100 to 160 beats per minute)

Energy & Feeding - sleepy, quiet, too tired to feed or falling asleep during feeds?

Arterial Saturation - not enough oxygen in the blood? - a pale, dusky, blue or grey colour
(normal oxygen saturations 95-100%)?

Respiration - breathing too fast or slow? (normally 40-60 breaths per minute)

Temperature - cold to touch - particularly hands and feet? 

Dr. Joan LaRovere, who pioneered Think HEART in 2009 at the Royal Brompton Hospital's Paediatric Intensive Care Unit, says, "Think HEART gives health professionals not specifically trained in cardiology the skills, knowledge and confidence to spot potential heart problems in newborn babies.  It will also empower parents to spot any potential health problems at home and will hopefully give them the confidence to take action."

Think HEART © Dr. Joan LaRovere (2009)

Our Experiences pages have more information on parent's experiences of heart disease.