Pediatric cardiology specializes in diagnosing, treating, and managing heart and blood vessel problems in children of all ages. This includes fetal cardiology, which finds and treats problems in babies still in the womb.

Our approach to pediatric heart care

No matter your child’s age, their heart and blood vessel health is our priority. Our expert care starts when your baby is in the womb. Pediatric heart doctors work with high-risk pregnancy specialists to address problems with your baby’s heart health.

We provide child-focused, team-based care, led by pediatric cardiologists—doctors who specialize in caring for childhood heart and blood vessel health. Our experts also include:

• Dedicated pediatric nurses, who provide specialized care and support throughout treatment
• Certified pediatric sonographers, who perform imaging tests for babies and children
• Pediatric electrophysiologists, who diagnose and treat heart rhythm disorders
• Pediatric heart surgeons, who perform surgery when needed

We treat a range of heart and blood vessel problems in babies, kids, and teens. Some of these conditions can lead to pediatric heart failure—when the heart stops working as it should.

Pediatric heart conditions we treat include:

Heart disease

Heart disease conditions we treat include:

• Pediatric hypertension: High blood pressure in children and teens. We diagnose and treat high blood pressure and help manage factors that can affect your child’s heart health.
• High cholesterol: High cholesterol can increase the risk of heart disease as your child grows. We can help diagnose and manage high cholesterol.
• Fetal heart disease: Heart problems diagnosed before birth. Our team can evaluate certain heart conditions during pregnancy and help plan care before and after delivery.
• Pediatric chest pain: In kids, chest pain is often not a sign of heart problems. We can diagnose and treat heart conditions that cause chest pain.
• Rheumatic heart disease: Heart valve damage caused by rheumatic fever that happens after a strep throat infection.
• Kawasaki disease: A rare condition, but serious illness that mostly affects young children. It's a type of vasculitis, or inflammation of the blood vessels.
• Pediatric cardiomyopathy: A disease of the heart muscle. In children, cardiomyopathy often happens because of an outside cause, such as an infection or toxin exposure. Though rare, some children can have this from birth.

Heart rhythm problems

Some children are born with or develop abnormal heartbeats or arrhythmias. These are problems with the heart’s electrical system. Heart rhythm problems we treat in children include:

• Long QT syndrome (LQTS): LQTS happens when the ventricles, or lower chambers of the heart, take too long to relax after a contraction. It can also cause heart flutters, cardiac fainting, seizures, and sudden death. 
• Bradycardia: A slower-than-normal heart rate. 
• Tachycardias: Conditions that cause the heart to beat faster than normal. These include sinus tachycardia and supraventricular tachycardia (SVT). Ventricular tachycardia (VT) starts in the ventricles. Though uncommon, VT is a serious, life-threatening condition that needs immediate care.
• Sick sinus syndrome: When the sinus node doesn’t send the right electrical signals. It can cause bradycardia, tachycardia, or a pause in the heart rate. Symptoms include feeling tired, dizzy, or fainting. In serious cases, kids may need a pacemaker in their heart to increase their heart rate.
• Premature contractions: One beat happens prematurely, or too early, followed by a pause. The next beat is then more forceful. Your child can feel like their heart skipped a beat. When it starts in the heart’s upper chamber, or atria, it’s called premature atrial contractions. When it starts in the ventricles, it’s called premature ventricular contractions. 
• Complete heart block: When the heart’s electrical signals can’t pass as they should from the upper chambers to the lower chambers. Treatment may include a pacemaker.
• Wolf-Parkinson-White Syndrome: Electrical pathways between the upper and lower chambers of the heart don’t work as they should. This causes electrical signals to reach the lower chamber too early, causing them to “bounce back” to the upper chamber. This causes heart rates that are too fast.

Congenital heart disease

About 1% of babies are born with congenital heart disease (CHD), also called congenital heart defects. These conditions include problems with the structure or function of the heart or nearby blood vessels that develop before birth.

Congenital heart disease covers a broad range of conditions, from less serious problems, such as holes between the heart’s chambers, to more complex conditions, such as a missing heart valve or chamber.

We treat the full spectrum of congenital heart disease, from simple to complex conditions. Examples of congenital heart conditions we treat include, but are not limited to:

• Holes in the heart: Openings between the heart's chambers, including atrial septal defects (ASD) and ventricular septal defects (VSD). Small holes may close on their own, while larger ones may need treatment.
• Patent ductus arteriosus (PDA): A blood vessel that should close shortly after birth stays open, causing extra blood to flow to the lungs.
• Heart valve defects: Heart valves that are too narrow, don't close completely, or don't develop properly. These conditions can affect how blood flows through the heart.
• Coarctation of the aorta: A narrowing of the body's main artery that makes it harder for the heart to pump blood to the rest of the body.
• Tetralogy of Fallot: A combination of 4 heart defects that reduce the amount of oxygen in the blood. Babies may have bluish skin, lips, or fingernails.
• Transposition of the great arteries (TGA): The 2 main arteries leaving the heart are switched, preventing oxygen-rich blood from reaching the body as it should.
• Hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS): The left side of the heart doesn't develop completely before birth, making it difficult for the heart to pump blood to the body.
• Other complex congenital heart defects: Some children are born with multiple heart defects or rare conditions that require specialized care and long-term follow-up.

We also provide care for adults with congenital heart disease, including ongoing monitoring, treatment, and follow-up for people who were born with heart conditions.

Genetic disorder-related problems

Some genetic disorders can lead to heart problems. We treat heart issues related to Down syndrome, DeGeorge syndrome, and Marfan syndrome. 

We use the most advanced tools to diagnose and follow your child’s heart and blood vessel health. This includes:

• Hospital consultation: We can provide a second opinion on your child's heart diagnosis and treatment plan.
• Fetal echocardiography: This ultrasound uses sound waves to check your baby's heart for problems before birth. It's typically performed during the second trimester of pregnancy.
• Pediatric echocardiogram: This ultrasound uses sound waves to create images of your child's heart and blood vessels. It helps diagnose congenital heart defects and shows how the heart pumps blood.
• Pediatric electrocardiogram (ECG): This quick test measures your child's heart rhythm and electrical activity.
• Transesophageal echocardiogram (TEE): This test uses sound waves to create detailed images of your child's heart. A small ultrasound probe is placed in the esophagus to get a closer look at the heart and blood vessels.
• Exercise stress testing: This test measures heart rate, blood pressure, and how the heart works during exercise. It may include an ECG and echocardiogram.
• Heart rhythm monitors: Wearable devices, such as Holter monitors and event monitors, record your child's heart rhythm over time to help diagnose heart rhythm problems.

Treatment depends on your child's diagnosis, age, and overall health. Some children only need regular monitoring, while others may need medication or procedures. We create a treatment plan that's right for your child.

Treatments we offer include:

• Fetal heart care: Monitoring and care planning for babies diagnosed with heart conditions before birth.
• Ongoing heart monitoring: Regular exams, imaging, and heart rhythm monitoring to track your child's heart health.
• Medications: Medicines to manage heart rhythm problems, heart function, blood pressure, and other heart conditions.
• Catheter-based procedures: Minimally invasive procedures to diagnose or treat certain heart conditions.
• Heart rhythm treatments: Specialized care for arrhythmias, including procedures such as cardiac ablation and pacemaker management.
• Coordinated surgical care: When surgery is needed, we work closely with pediatric heart surgeons to ensure seamless care before and after the procedure.