What does this have to do with sleep disorders? Well, directly, not much, but indirectly sleep is involved on several fronts.
For instance, childhood sleep is often troubled by terrifying nightmares and night terrors where he or she wakes up with a pounding heart. Sleep walking is another danger. A fall, or waking up in a strnage place can be a frightening experience that can put a strain on the heart. Imagine how much worse this is if that child is the vicitm of congenjital heart disease.
Having a child with this disroder also puts a strain on the parent. Sleep is difficult when a person is worried about a child.
Check out this list of symptoms. Note how many involve sleep in one way or another:
- Tires easily during feeding (i.e. falls asleep before feeding finishes
- Sweating around the head, especially during feeding
- Fast breathing when at rest or sleeping
- Pale or bluish skin color
- Poor weight gain
- Sleeps a lot - not playful or curious for any length of time
- Puffy face, hands, and/or feet
- Often irritable, difficult to console
Some children with CHDs may not have any symptoms until later in childhood. Things to look for include:
- Gets out of breath during play
- Difficulty "keeping up" with playmates
- Tires easily/sleeps a lot
- Change in color during active play or sports (looks pale or has a bluish tint around mouth and nose)
- Frequent colds and respiratory illnesses
- Slow growth and weight gain/poor appetite
- Complains of chest pain and/or heart pounding
What is congenital heart disease? A Day for Hearts gives us this definition:
CONGENITAL HEART DISEASE ..... a chilling phrase; a lethal constellation of birth defects of the heart that affect millions of newborn infants and children; a killer that claims thousands of lives every year.
CHD is a growing problem that is often neglected, costly, long term and silent. More research into this child killer is desperately needed. The causes are many and varied, from having a rubella infeciton (German measles) during the pregnancy to fetal alcohol syndrome to the use of prescription drugs including thalidomide and lithium. Drug abuse of any kind can also lead to this problem.
Designating February 14 as a Day for Hearts is a start, but morer awareness is needed. CHIN tells us that: "Congenital Heart Defect Awareness Week™
February 7-14, 2006.
An international coalition of families, individuals, non-profit organizations, support groups, and health professionals participate in a campaign to increase public awareness of Congenital Heart Defects and Childhood Heart Disease."
Rererences:
The Congenital Heart Information Network
A Day for Hearts
