Sharjah - Dr Ahmed Al Kamali, Consultant Paediatric Cardiologist at University Hospital Sharjah, says many parents are unaware that congenital heart disease (CHD) among infants is fairly common. With 1 in 100 newborns in the UAE diagnosed with CHD, Dr Kamali has diagnosed and treated heart defects ranging from minor to the most complex cases. 

“It can be scary to learn that your baby has a congenital heart defect, but advances in medical knowledge and diagnostic technologies can provide highly detailed information regarding structural heart abnormalities,” explained Dr Kamali.

Congenital (meaning present at birth) defects usually are treated with surgery, catheter procedures, and sometimes medication. With more recent advancements in paediatric heart surgery and interventional catheterisation, nearly every form of congenital heart disease can be treated with the expectation of a positive outcome.

A variety of genetic and environmental factors interact to alter the development of the heart during the early stages of fetal development, during the first eight to nine weeks during pregnancy. In some cases, the cause of a congenital heart defect is known; certain environmental exposures during the first trimester of pregnancy may cause structural abnormalities, which include various medications. Uncontrolled diabetes, alcohol abuse, or exposure to industrial chemicals during pregnancy also can increase the risk of heart defects. In most cases, the specific cause of CHD is unknown.

UHS’s state-of-the-art facilities feature advanced ultrasound imaging techniques, making it possible for 

CHD cases to be diagnosed early. This provides the family and doctors the ability to make well-informed decisions about the best treatment options. While many children with minor forms of congenital heart disease may not require any treatment, some can have serious symptoms early on that will require medical or surgical treatment during the first year of life. 

Less invasive procedures done in the cardiac catheterisation laboratory, rather than the operating room, may be used to treat some conditions. In these procedures, Dr Kamali inserts a catheter, a thin plastic tube with a special balloon attached, into a blood vessel. The balloon is then inflated to stretch open the narrow area of the blood vessel or heart valve. 

Dr Kamali, who pioneered cardiac catheterisation among children in Sharjah and Northern Emirates, elaborated, “Cardiac surgery and cardiac catheterisations are now performed during infancy or even the newborn period, which has many long-term advantages. Although nothing can be guaranteed with complete certainty, most children with heart problems can enjoy happy and healthy lives.”