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The little heart test is one of the tests performed on babies born with a gestational age of more than 34 weeks and is still done in the maternity ward, between the first 24 to 48 hours after birth.
This test is performed by the team that followed the delivery and is used to check if the baby's heart is functioning properly, as it may be that, during pregnancy, some heart disease has not been detected.
Check all the tests that the newborn should do.
What is it for
The little heart test serves to assess how the baby is adapting to life outside the womb. This test can detect irregularities in the muscles and blood vessels of the heart, as well as checking whether the heart beats the expected amount of times per minute, and even if the blood pumped by the heart contains the necessary amount of oxygen that the baby needs.
Some changes that can be detected by the little heart test are:
1. Ventricular septal defect
This defect consists of an opening between the right and left ventricles, which are the lower parts of the heart and which should not be in direct contact with each other. It is common for this opening to close naturally, but in any case the pediatrician will monitor the case to see if the closure occurs spontaneously or if surgery is necessary.
Children with this mild disorder have no symptoms, however if the degree is moderate it can cause respiratory distress and difficulty gaining weight.
2. Atrial septal defect
The atrium is the upper part of the heart, which is divided into left and right by a cardiac structure called the septum. The defect that generates atrial septum disease is a small opening in the septum, which connects the two sides. This opening may close spontaneously, but there are cases where surgery is necessary.
Babies with this change do not usually show symptoms.
3. Tetralogy of Fallot
Fallot's Tetralogy is a set of four defects that can affect the newborn's heart. For example, when the lower left blood vessel of the heart is smaller than it should be, and this causes the muscle to grow in this region, leaving the baby's heart swollen.
These flaws reduce oxygen in the body, and one of the signs of the disease is the color change to shades of purple and blue in the baby's lips and fingers. See what are the other signs and how is the treatment of Tetralogy of Fallot.
4. Transposition of large arteries
In this case, the large arteries responsible for the circulation of oxygenated and non-oxygenated blood work in reverse, where the side with oxygen does not exchange with the side without oxygen. The signs of transposition of large arteries happen hours after birth due to lack of oxygen and the baby may also have an increase in heart rate.
In this disease, reparative surgery is often indicated to reconnect blood vessels in the places where they should have formed during pregnancy.
How the exam is done
The exam is performed with the child lying comfortably with well-warmed hands and feet. A special bracelet-shaped accessory for newborns is placed on the baby's right arm that measures the amount of oxygen in the blood.
There are no cuts or holes in this test and, therefore, the baby does not feel any pain or discomfort. In addition, parents can stay with the baby throughout the process, making it more comfortable.
In some cases this test can be performed on the baby's foot, using the same bracelet to measure the amount of oxygen in the blood.
What the result means
The test result is considered normal and negative when the amount of oxygen in the baby's blood is greater than 96%, so the child follows the routine of neonatal care, being discharged from the maternity hospital when all the newborn's tests are done.
If the test result is positive, it means that the amount of oxygen in the blood is less than 95% and, if this occurs, the test must be repeated after 1 hour. In this second test, if the result remains, that is, if it remains below 95%, the baby needs to be hospitalized to have an echocardiogram. Find out how it is done and what the echocardiogram is for.