Tetralogy of Fallot is a heart condition that newborn babies may be born with. It is the most common heart condition and can be readily fixed if it is noticed early on. Tetralogy of Fallot is caused when blood lacking oxygen passes through the heart while oxygen rich blood is mixed with it. This causes a circulatory condition because the body isn’t receiving the oxygen it needs to survive and for all of the organs to function at an optimum level. This lack of oxygen can also cause shutdown of organs and problems with various parts of the body if the baby survives infancy.

Who can have Tetralogy of Fallot?

Almost anyone can have Tetralogy of Fallot as it occurs in the body when the baby is developing. This disorder is known to happen in a wide range of babies born with blue baby syndrome and can be dealt with in various ways. The affliction of the condition of Tetralogy of Fallot can be very minor or extremely severe and can even cause death. In fact, many of the infants that are born with Tetralogy of Fallot may die if the affliction is not caught in time. The most important thing for parents to do is monitor their children and take their child to the emergency room at their hospital if they notice unusual bluing of the skin and lips of their baby.

Overview of Tetralogy of Fallot

Babies may be born with this condition that causes the heart to pump out blood lacking enough oxygen to power their body. The condition of poor blood is referred to as “hypoxemia.” This condition may also become a chronic condition that may lead to blue lips, and skin. A normal heart allows the blood to pump out full of oxygen and nutrients. This is done in a few steps that are regulated by the heart but with Tetralogy of Fallot, the opposite occurs. The blood is then pumped without the proper ratio of oxygen available and does not create the wanted effect for proper bodily function.

Common Symptoms for Tetralogy of Fallot

The most common symptoms of Tetralogy of Fallot are visual, but those who do not have it as bad may only notice complications when they are older while doing activities and exercise that makes the heart work harder. The need for oxygen in the body can do a wide variety of symptoms in older individuals which have Tetralogy of Fallot. The following are well known symptoms of Tetralogy of Fallot:

Heart Murmur – Since this is a congenital heart disorder, the likelihood that the heart will exhibit a murmur is great. The heart will often have a loud murmur due to the fact that the heart chambers will be abnormal in their function and capacities of blood. The murmur can change over time if the Tetralogy of Fallot does not cause the death of the child early on.

Difficulty in Gaining Weight – Since the body relies on the blood circulation to send and receive nutrients throughout the body, babies and children up to those who survive to adulthood may see a reduced gain in weight because the nutrients needed for growth are not as readily available as is in those who do not have the Tetralogy of Fallot.

Dyspnea – Shortness of breath, also known as dyspnea, is very possible as the lungs will not be able to get enough blood flow to properly saturate the blood with oxygen. This will create a much more difficult time for those who have Tetralogy of Fallot to breathe correctly. This condition may or may not improve as the child grows. It is important to allow children with Tetralogy of Fallot to pace themselves.

Clubbing of Fingers and Toes – The clubbing is characterized by the enlargement of the furthest extremities such as the fingers and toes which end up looking like little clubs. These are common in individuals who are born with Tetralogy of Fallot because these parts of the body will often crave oxygen, causing abnormal growth and usually incorporating the growth of new blood vessels in these areas in an attempt to gain more blood flow, thus more oxygen.

Tet Spells – Tet spells are a condition in which the brain is not supplied enough oxygen and can cause a wide array of problems including neurological damage and much more. Children who survive with Tetralogy of Fallot to an older age will more than likely be exhibited performing a squat during a tet spell, as this will cut the circulation of blood to the legs and increase the blood flow to the brain. This is effective towards making it possible to prevent brain damage and death. Children with Tetralogy of Fallot seem to learn this out of necessity.

Treatment Options for Tetralogy of Fallot

By undergoing surgical treatments for Tetralogy of Fallot, the quality of life and length of life can be improved and make it possible to lead a strong and healthy life. It is important for parents to take advantage of what they have available to help improve the quality of life for their child as they grow up and more. The following treatments are possible:

Tet Spell Emergency Treatment – Before the ability to correct the heart of the patient, emergency tet spell treatment may be needed to prevent death and damage from the tet spells. Drugs may be needed to help reduce the damage that could be done by tet spells that help to slow down the heart and make it possible to increase blood pressure. Simple techniques such as the squatting or knee to chest position can greatly improve the chances of surviving a tet spell when it is not managed by drugs.

Palliative Surgery – This is surgery that helps to reroute the partially oxygenated blood back into the lung after it leaves the heart. This increases the amount of oxygen in the blood that gets sent into the body and greatly improves the condition of the patient. This is not a complete fix and will possibly last for a period of time in which could be taken to prepare for a total surgical repair of the heart.

Total Surgical Repair – This is a surgery that involves reconstructing the heart to work much more properly. This is a very time consuming and intricate process that leaves the heart working very much like a normal heart. This works well until growth of the heart is complete in the adult person. There may then be leaks in the system that has developed because the valves did not grow with the rest of the heart correctly.

Prognosis and Outlook for those who have Tetralogy of Fallot

Those who are affected by Tetralogy of Fallot may not survive very long without corrective surgery of some type. The chances of someone with Tetralogy of Fallot that is uncorrected living to age 50 is 5 percent whereas another person with Tetralogy of Fallot that is corrected can live well past that. The problem with the surgical technique is that a sudden death because of heart failure is possible and can happen at any time. The best possible thing to do is to keep in touch with a cardiologist that can correct the problems with the surgically fixed Tetralogy of Fallot that is leaky or faulty.