We typically think of heart disease as an adult problem, but there are children who suffer from heart disease as well.  Most of the time this has little to do with lifestyle and more to do with congenital defects.

 These are heart problems that the child is born with.  There are also acquired heart diseases that a child contracts after birth.  Examples of congenital defects include defects in the heart valves, heart murmurs, and atrial septal defects (otherwise known as a hole in the heart).

 These are conditions that occur when there’s a problem with a baby’s development before birth.  Acquired defects include Kawasaki’s disease and rheumatic fever. If you have a child that suffers from heart disease, it’s important to stay on top of his medical treatment.

You need to be aware of your child’s symptoms and make sure that you’re getting the right medications.  In some cases, surgery may be required. It’s a good idea to get a second opinion before allowing your child to undergo a serious operation.

You’ll also need to make sure that your child leads a healthy lifestyle if he heart disease.  For some children, physical activity will need to be limited.  For those children who can participate in exercise, you should follow your doctor’s instructions.  You’ll also want to make sure your child has a healthy diet.

Finally, it’s important to realize that heart disease can also be acquired through an unhealthy lifestyle.  Diseases such as diabetes and heart disease were once only found in adults.

However, more and more children are beginning to develop these diseases because their diet and exercise habits are so poor.  This is largely due to the access to technology and the on-the-go lifestyle we live.

As a parent, you need to do everything in your power to help your child stay healthy by eating a diet low in saturated fat and high in fiber.  You also need to make sure that they trade some of their video games for exercise.  Children developing heart disease as a result of atherosclerosis is a tragedy – one that’s 100% preventable.

No matter what the health of your child is today, there are things you can do to help improve it.  Make sure your child has a healthy diet and adequate physical activity.  This will help to treat problems from childhood heart disease as well as prevent problems later in your child’s life.