Dilated Cardiomyopathy Nancy McDaniel M.D. The heart in this defect has four chambers and four valves. If this condition is mild the child may need no medications but may be limited in physical activity. The other medicine that is used sometimes lowers the blood pressure in the arteries to make the pumping of the heart easier. The cause of the poor muscle function is usually not known. Sometimes this can come from a virus.
Many children have improvement in their heart muscle function over time.
Some children with severe weakness whose heart muscle does not recover may be considered for a heart transplant.