Pediatric heart diseases

​Each year, approximately 550 children are born in Finland with a congenital cardiac defect. If the development of the heart is disturbed for some reason during the fetal period, the structure of the heart can remain defective. There are a number of congenital heart diseases: the heart can include extra openings, obstructions or complex structural defects. In complex defects, a child can be missing one of the ventricles of the heart or a complete heart valve.

In addition to congenital heart diseases, the heart of a child or adolescent can develop a heart condition as a consequence of myocarditis, for example.

In Finland, the examination and treatment of the most difficult pediatric cardiac defects is centralized at New Children’s Hospital. Pediatric cardiac defects are repaired by both catheterization and surgery.

Patient organization:

Finnish Association for Heart Children and Adults