Pattern of Cardiac Abnormalities in Children < 5 Years of Age - Experience in a Tertiary Care Hospital

Background: Congenital heart diseases (CHDs) are the most common birth defects, responsible for nearly one-third of all congenital birth defects. The birth prevalence of CHD is reported to be 8-12/1000 live births. Early diagnosis of Congenital as well acquired heart diseases are of paramount important for timely management plan and intervention and thus reduce the mortality and morbidity of childhood heart disease patients. Method: This is a prospective observational study carried out during January 2020 to December’ 2020 at Dhaka Shishu Hospital, Bangladesh. The study population were 100 enrolled cardiac Children who were clinically suggestive of having cardiac disease evaluated through chest X-ray, ECG, Echocardiography and other necessary Investigation. Proper informed consent was taken under the study and purpose of the study was explained. Ethical approval was obtained from the Institutional Ethics Committee. All data were processed, analyzed, and disseminated by MS Office and SPSS version 26 as per need. Results: Among the 100 enrolled cardiac patient 87 were diagnosed to have congenital heart disease and remaining 13% percent presented with acquired heart disease. Out of 87 patients suffering from congenital heart disease 59 (67.81%) had acyanotic heart disease where Ventricular septal defect (VSD) is in the top of the list 27 (31.34%). Cyanotic congenital heart disease was found in 28 (32.19%) where Tetralogy of fallot (TOF) was the most common lesion 9 (10.34%). Conclusion: Childhood Heart diseases are responsible for a significant number of mortality and morbidity. Earlier detection and timely initiative regarding medical or surgical management is of utmost importance to avoid complications, reduce mortality and improve quality of life.