| As I began to
think about this month’s theme, which is “Healthy Hearts,”
I did some web searches and realized that even though there is a
lot of information regarding this topic, I wanted to draw some attention
to other heart issues that children may be facing.
As I navigated through the American Heart Association website,
I found that there are two broad areas of heart defects that affect
children - congenital and acquired. For this month’s elementary
section, I have decided to talk about these two topic areas, but
have also included information about a normal, healthy heart.
Since the majority of the population is born with healthy hearts
there is a lot of information about ways to improve or maintain
your cardiovascular health. However, according to the American Heart
Association 40,000 children are born with heart defects, and after
gaining this knowledge I felt compelled to share the information
that I found about heart defects with you.
Dawn Sakaguchi
Elementary Section Editor
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| What is Congenital
Heart Defect?
According to the American Heart Association and Virtual Children’s
Hospital, congenital heart defect refers to structural problems
of the heart and occurs shortly after conception when there is a
mishap during the development of the heart.
Congenital heart defect is usually detected in the first few months
after birth, or if the defect is minor is found during a routine
medical checkup. The severity of the defect ranges from simple “such
as holes between chambers of the heart, to very severe malformations,
such as complete absence of one or more chambers or valves.”
Causes of Congenital Heart Disease
The causes of congenital heart defects are unknown. However, the
American Heart Association states that the cause could be hereditary
but cases of more than one person having congenital disease in a
family are rare. The AHA also mentions that drugs or other conditions
could be attributed to the causation of congenital heart disease
but these are still uncertain. Ultimately, the reasons why congenital
heart disease develops is unknown.
Resources for More Information:
Common types of congenital heart defects - slide
show |
If you have ideas,
comments, letters to share, or questions about particular topics,
please email one of the following Elementary PE Section Editors:
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| What
is your school or PE program doing to celebrate Heart Month?
Please share your ideas on the
forum. |
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| Unlike congenital
heart defects, acquired heart disease usually occurs during a child’s
development. It is considered more common in adults than in children,
however, there are a few conditions that are more prevalent in children.
Those conditions are Rheumatic heart disease and Kawasaki disease.
Rheumatic Heart Disease
Rheumatic heart disease is a condition where permanent damage is
done to the heart valve caused by complications of rheumatic fever.
The process usually starts with a strep throat infection caused
by the streptococcus A bacteria.
If strep throat is left untreated, it may result in rheumatic
fever. In Rheumatic heart disease, the heart valve has trouble
completely opening or closing, which could result in disabling problems
or even congestive heart failure. Effective treatment of strep throat
must take place in order to prevent rheumatic heart disease.
Resources for More Information:
Kawasaki Disease
The leading acquired heart disease, Kawasaki disease, is usually
found in children younger than 5 years old. Discovered in Japan
by pediatrician Dr. Tomisaku Kawasaki in 1967, the disease affects
the lining of the mouth and the breathing passages, skin and lymph
nodes, and is also referred to as mucocutaneous lymph node syndrome.
Kawasaki disease is described by a high fever, rash, swelling of
the hands and feet, redness and mucous in the eyes (conjunctivitis),
and irritation to the lips, throat, and mouth.
Kawasaki disease is found more frequently in Asian-American children,
however infection can occur in children of any racial or ethnic
background. The disease is also twice as likely to happen in boys.
Causes of the Kawasaki disease are unknown, however, if left untreated
the disease can affect the heart.
According to the American Heart Association:
“The heart may be affected in as many as one of five children
who develop Kawasaki disease. Damage sometimes occurs to the blood
vessels that supply the heart muscle (the coronary arteries) and
to the heart muscle itself. A weakening of a coronary artery can
result in an enlargement or swelling of the blood vessel wall (an
aneurysm).
Infants less than 1 year old are usually the most seriously ill
and are at greatest risk for heart involvement. The acute phase
of Kawasaki disease commonly lasts 10 to 14 days or more. Most children
recover fully. The likelihood of developing coronary artery disease
later in life is not known, and remains the subject of medical investigation.”
Resources for More Information:
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| Healthy Heart Web Resources |
| The
Normal Heart and How it Works: Information from the American
Heart Association
KidZone
on PediHeart! Website for kids who want to learn more about
the heart.
For Kids growing up with medical problems: Bandaides
& Blackboards
Healthy
Hearts for Kids - "this website is full of fun learning
activities about cardiovascular health! You can find out more
about physical activity, nutrition, and tobacco use while completing
interactive learning games, quizzes, writing activities and math
problems, and more! You can earn points and win prizes for participating!"
This is an informative site for kids, teachers, and parents.
Nutrition
and Exercise: Healthy Balance for a Healthy Heart. An interesting
and informative site.
Here's
to Your Heart - download for teachers
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| Kawasaki
Disease Breakthrough (2001)
An article, published by the BBC, talks about how the combination
of medication and exercise can increase blood vessel circulation. HeartPower!
"Online is your free resource for educational materials for
preschool, elementary and middle school students. Free, printable
lesson plans, activity sheets, poems and stories for Pre-K (bilingual),
K–2, 3–5 and 6–8. HeartPower!'s four key messages
about heart health have been categorized by curriculum, lifestyle
message, format and grade level. You can use these science-based
online resources to introduce your students to healthy habits and
choices that can improve their quality of life for many years. You
can even help them learn decision-making skills that can save lives,
including their own!" - American Heart
Association
Know
Your Fats
Knowing which fats raise LDL cholesterol and which ones don't
is the first step in lowering your risk of heart disease. Also
see this site.
AboutYourCholesterol.com
Everything you need to know about cholesterol and ways you can
reduce or control high cholesterol to minimize your risk of heart
attack or stroke.
Lowering
Cholesterol Levels
Very helpful information on how you can lower your cholesterol
level, how to decrease LDLs, increase the HDL level, and foods
to eat and avoid.
Benefits
of Aerobic Exercise
"There are three major levels of benefits to be reaped from
your aerobic lifestyle: your looks, your health and your mental
fitness." Read more, and how this also ties in with cholesterol
levels.
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