ASK A MONTE DOC
Photo of two toddlers

Q: SEVERAL PEOPLE IN MY FAMILY HAVE HAD A HEART ATTACK. SHOULD I WORRY ABOUT MY CHILDREN?

A: Heredity plays a role in atherosclerotic heart disease—the leading killer of men and women in the United States. Children whose parents or other family members have heart disease may be more likely to develop the disease when they get older. There’s also some evidence that heart disease can start in childhood. While you can’t change your children’s heredity, there are other ways to help them stay healthy. If you have a family history of heart disease, it’s a good idea to talk with your children’s doctor about what you can do to lower their risk for heart disease.

Q: WHAT CAN I DO TO HELP MY CHILD KEEP HIS HEART HEALTHY?

A: You can help your child develop healthy habits that will stay with him throughout his lifetime. For example, encourage your child to eat healthy foods. Provide lots of fruits, vegetables and lean meat at meals, and limit unhealthy, highfat foods. Make sure your child gets enough exercise. We recommend that children engage in at least an hour of physical activity every day. You should also keep an eye on your child’s weight and help him stay within the normal range for his height. If your child has chronic conditions that increase his risk for heart disease—such as diabetes, high blood pressure or high cholesterol—work with his doctor to control these conditions.

Q: HAS THE OUTLOOK FOR KIDS BORN WITH HEART PROBLEMS IMPROVED?

A: Years ago, many kids who were born with congenital heart defects didn’t survive. But with new technology and advances in surgery, we are able to repair most types of congenital heart diseases, such as septal heart defects (holes in the wall that divides the two sides of the heart) or heart valve problems. Some of the innovations that we use today to diagnose heart problems include echocardiograms, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computerized tomography (CT) scans that allow us to see the heart in 3-dimensions. Treating children with heart diseases can happen in the catheterization laboratory using specialized interventional and electrophysiology procedures and in the operating room with open-heart surgery. Sometimes, a combined approach using catheterization procedures and surgery is the best way to repair certain defects. With all of these tools available, we’re able to help many kids with heart defects live normal, healthy lives.

Photo of Doctor Daphne Hsu, MD, pediatric cardiologist, is the new division chief of Pediatric Cardiology, co-director of the Pediatric Heart Center at The Children’s Hospital at Montefiore and professor of Pediatrics at Albert Einstein College of Medicine. Dr. Hsu is a graduate of the Yale School of Medicine. She performed her residency and fellowship at Columbia University, where she was a professor of clinical pediatrics and head of the Pediatric Heart Failure Program before joining the staff at The Children’s Hospital. Dr. Hsu is a nationally recognized expert in treating children with heart disease.