Heart of a Child: What Families Need to Know about Heart Disorders in Children

From birth to adolescence, from doctor's office to playground.

Written for parents whose child has a heart disorder, this book provides up-to-date and reliable information from medical experts on children's heart problems. The first edition of The Heart of a Child was widely praised for helping families understand and cope with heart disorders, and many support organizations and websites now recommend this book as "must have" for families. Reflecting changes in treatment and new knowledge about genetics, as well as changes in the system for health care delivery, the text and illustrations have been thoroughly updated with the latest developments in understanding and treating heart problems in children.

The second edition includes:

- New and updated information on the genetics of heart defects, including syndromes associated with heart defects

- Descriptions of new approaches to treatment, including surgery and medication

- Advice on how to deal with managed care

- Information about advances in prenatal care

- Updated list of websites, references, and resources for families

- A note to grandparents

Written by experts in pediatric cardiology from the Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions and the University of Utah Medical Center, this new edition of The Heart of a Child uses case examples, questions-and-answers, detailed drawings, and careful descriptions to explain the causes of heart disorders, how they are discovered and diagnosed, how they affect children, and how they are treated.

The overriding principle of modern treatment is to restore the child who has a heart problem to the best possible health with the minimum of tests and procedures. The Heart of a Child helps parents understand the challenges, the options, the decisions--and the many reasons for hope.