KATHMANDU, Feb 9: One percent of the children have congenital heart disease, said Dr Urmila Shakya, senior pediatric cardiologist at the Sahid Gangalal National Heart Centre. 

Addressing a news conference organized on Thursday in connection with the Congenital Heart Disease Awareness Week, Dr Shakya said that one percent of the children have congenital heart disease in Nepal. 

According to Dr Shakya, eight to 10 children out of 1,000 children born alive are found suffering from congenital heart conditions. She shared that this condition develops when the child is still in the womb due to some problem with the artery outside the heart or abnormalities in the interior parts of the heart.

Dr Shakya said that the mortality rate is high due to cardiac-related issues among the children who have complicated congenital heart conditions. To reduce such risk, Dr Shakya advised, pregnant women should pay attention to proper food intake and nutrition and totally abstain from smoking.

It is said symptoms about congenital heart condition can be seen in nearly two-thirds of the children within a month of their birth, and one-third of children showing such symptoms died within some days of their birth if timely medical treatment is not provided.

Dr Shakya also said that the causes can be identified only in 10 percent of cardiac diseases. It is said children with congenital heart conditions do not gain weight as per their age, are weak, the left part of their chest is raised and suffer from chest pain, fall unconscious, and have body swelling, among other problems.

 
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