Paediatric Cardiology Care at CritiCare Asia Hospitals, Kurla
CritiCare Asia Hospitals, Kurla is a heart hospital in Mumbai where children's heart conditions are handled by a dedicated paediatric cardiology team. The field covers foetuses, infants, children and adolescents. It is separate from adult cardiology because a child's heart is still growing, and parts of it are still forming in early life. If your child needs paediatric heart treatment in Kurla, Mumbai, the care is planned for that stage of growth.
Warning Signs in Babies and Children
Some signs are easy to miss because they look like ordinary tiredness or a fussy baby. Watch for:
Breathing that is fast or hard work, mostly while feeding or playing
A baby who feeds poorly or cannot finish a feed
Bluish lips, tongue, fingers, or skin (cyanosis)
Slow weight gain or failure to thrive
Unusual tiredness during normal play
Fainting, or irritability in infants that has no clear reason
One sign on its own does not mean a heart problem. Still, earlier diagnosis usually means better treatment options, so persistent symptoms should be seen by a child heart specialist in Kurla.
Conditions Treated in Children
The department's paediatric cardiologists in Kurla, Mumbai, treat the conditions below, among others, and review each case before a plan is set.
ASD and VSD (septal defects): openings between the heart's chambers
PDA (patent ductus arteriosus): a vessel from foetal life that stays open after birth
Tetralogy of Fallot and similar complex defects, which often need treatment in stages
Narrowed aortic or pulmonary valves present from birth
Coarctation of the aorta: a narrowed section of the main artery leaving the heart
Cardiomyopathy: a weakened or thickened heart muscle
Kawasaki disease, which can affect the coronary arteries if untreated
Rheumatic heart disease: valve damage after a streptococcal infection that was not treated properly
Arrhythmias: irregular heartbeats, some harmless and some needing active treatment
Present at Birth or Developed Later
Congenital conditions make up most of what is diagnosed in children. They form while the heart is developing, so the chambers, valves, or large vessels are built differently from the start. Acquired conditions arrive later, usually after an infection or inflammatory illness. Kawasaki disease and rheumatic heart disease are the main examples, and the heart can be badly affected if either is missed.
Tests Used to Diagnose Heart Problems
The choice of test depends on what the doctor finds.
Paediatric ECG, which records the electrical activity of the heart
Echocardiography, a painless scan that shows heart structure and function
Newborn pulse oximetry, a simple oxygen check that can point to some defects
Cardiac MRI or CT, for detailed anatomy in complex cases
Cardiac catheterisation, which diagnoses and sometimes treats in the same sitting
Heart Scans Before Birth
A foetal echocardiogram can detect some defects before the baby is born. It is usually suggested if there is a family history of congenital heart disease, if the mother has diabetes, or if a routine ultrasound shows an abnormality. The result lets doctors plan the delivery and have newborn care ready, rather than starting only after birth.
Deciding When to Treat
There is no fixed age for treatment. In some cases the defect must be corrected soon after birth, because the risk of waiting is greater. In others the team waits until the child is older and larger, as the procedure is then safer. The decision depends on the defect and on the child, and a paediatrician who notices something unusual should refer the child without delay.
Follow-Up After Treatment
Once a defect is treated, follow-up continues. Expect regular growth checks, periodic heart reviews and advice on physical activity and sports. In adulthood, patients with congenital heart disease generally move to a cardiologist trained in adult congenital heart disease, because their needs change.
Treatment Options
Treatment depends on the defect and what it is doing to the child.
Monitoring, when a defect is likely to close by itself as the child grows
Medicines, for conditions that need ongoing control
Catheter-based treatment, including balloon dilation, stenting and device closure, so open surgery is avoided where possible
Paediatric cardiac surgery, for complex defects that catheter methods cannot fully correct
Paediatric Cardiology at CritiCare Asia Hospitals, Kurla
Paediatric cardiology at CritiCare Asia Hospitals, Kurla covers the full path: first evaluation with echocardiography, then catheter-based or surgical treatment when needed. A paediatric heart specialist in Kurla coordinates every stage instead of working separately, and the plan is reviewed as the child grows because it is not fixed at diagnosis. Care includes:
Paediatric-specific echocardiography and ECG for diagnosis
Catheter-based procedures where appropriate, to avoid surgery when possible
Cardiac surgery for complex structural defects
Growth and development checks alongside cardiac follow-up
Joint planning between cardiology and the wider paediatric team
To arrange a heart evaluation for your child, contact CritiCare Asia Hospitals, Kurla.