Another cause in children is longstanding, severe congenital heart disease. A pediatrician suspecting this problem should refer a child to a specialty service in pediatric pulmonary hypertension, such as the one at Children's Hospital. Severe cases are cosmetically undesirable, and children sometimes encounter social and emotional problems in school as they get older. Some studies indicate that severe pectus excavatum can compromise heart and lung function during exercise. Concened parents should have a consultation with one of our surgeons.
Treatment is by surgical reconstruction of that area of the chest wall.
This deformity is repaired with regularity by the Cardiac Center team. Treatment is surgical reconstruction. Infants should be treated in a specialized center. Babies and children will occasionally get something caught in their trachea, such as an item of food. A child suddenly having trouble breathing may be a result of aspiration.