Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-03-17
Fight on Heart Disease
In Children Is Guinino
But Cardiac Ailments Still
Runk Third as ChiId-KiIIers
By Thomas R. Henry

N0nk InIIo as NnlI0-kllIerS
By Thomas R. Henry
Heart disease remains the third great
est killer Of children.
This is true in spite of the fact that
the greatest scientific advances in the
cardiovascular field in the past genera
ton have been against those heart
maladies especially destructive Of child
life.
Several, in fact, have been wiped out
Of the picture for all practical purposes,
although probably there always will be
occasional cases, according to the re-
port OF experts before the House Com
mittee on Interstate and Foreign Com.
merce. q preliminary summary of which
has just been issued.
A considerable proportion of child
"cardiacs" are born with the ailment.
A generation ago such cases generally
were considered hopeless. The victim
was doomed to an early death or life
OF practical uSelesSness. The great adj
vance has been due to the research
findings. reported both in the United
States and Europe, that the conditions
are due largely to the condition of the
mother during pregnancy. Primary pre-
vention depends on protection of the
mother, which has become much easier
with the growth Of prenatal clinics and
successful propaganda for prenatal care.
Virus Infections a Problem.
Above all, it is stressed in the report,
the expectant mother must be pro-
tected from virus infections. The once
almost universal German measles"
has been found to be an especially bad
offender, so far as the hearts of unborn
babies are concerned.
Among more recent findings are that
deficiencies of vitamins and various
endocrine disturbances during the first
three months of pregnancy are likely
to have serious effects. During this
period also the unborn child may be
injured by exposure of the mother to
excessive radiation-a factor of increas-
ing importance in this age of RADIO
activity.
The infant born with a sound heart
still has hurdles to cross during baby
hood-especia from such a BAG.
terial disease as acute endocarditis.
This is likely to follow minor opera
tons. such as removing of the tonsils
or teeth extraction. It can be pre-
vented, however, by use Of various anti
biotics both before and after the sur
gerry.
Great strides have been made in
surgery for the correction of congenital
defects Of the heart-blood system.
Looking backward from 1883" says
the House Committee report. lit can be
said that literally thousands Of opera
tons upon at least six or more of the
various types Of malformations have
been successfully performed. Tech.
niques have been developed and sue
cessfully used on human patients to
close holes in the septum. or the parti-
ton which separates the two sides of
the heart. Plastic buttons have been
devised which are successful in animal
experiments and promise to be effec-
tive for repairing imperfections in the
partitions Of the heart. Deepfreeze
methods for obtaining bloodless field
during heart operations have been
developed.
Surgical Advancement Reports.
Blood vessel grating. an area of re-
markable development in the past few
years, makes possible treatment of
some defects. 1t is now possible to graft
pieces Of artery of considerable length.
Several types Of mechanical hearts are
in advanced stages of development"
The outstanding cause of heart all
ments among young people in the past
has been rheumatic fever, which nearly
always left a weakened heart in its
wake. This always is preceded by, al
though not necessarily caused by, some
sort OF streptococci infection. It can
be prevented by early treatment Of the
Infection with sulfonamides, penicillin,
or some of the other anti-biotics. Some
times 1t Is necessary. however, to take
these over an extended period to pre-
vent recurrence of the infection.
The National Heart Institute and the
American Heart Association now are
cooperating in campaign to insure
the continuance of such prophylactic
treatment by children who have once
had rheumatic fever, until they are at
least ID years old.
No drugs have been found which
will cure the fever itself. A recent find
ing, however, is that a treatment which
combines cortisone and a special diet
can prevent permanent heart damage
hnd somewhat reduce that which al
ready has taken place.
Rheumatic heart disease is charac-
terized chiefly by damaged heart
valves. Several surgical procedures now
have been developed for treatment of
this condition. One operation is that
of reopening CONSTRUCTED mitral
valve which has become SCARED and
narrowed. This involves about Is per
cent risk for properly selected patients.
In another brilliantly conceived oper-
alton, a plastic valve can be inserted
into the main artery to prevent back
flow of blood into the heart caused by
an impaired aortic valve.