Mini Review

“WCHD”, An Abbreviation to Honor and Celebrate A World Day For One of These Two Great Concepts: “World Children Heart Day” Or “World Congenital Heart Disease Day”

Shahzadi Hossein*

Assistant Professor, Department of Pediatric Cardiology, Rajaie Cardiovascular Medical and Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

Submission: September 13, 2023; Published: September 27, 2023

*Corresponding author: Shahzadi Hossein, Assistant Professor, Department of Pediatric Cardiology, Rajaie Cardiovascular Medical and Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

How to cite this article: Shahzadi Hossein*. “WCHD”, An Abbreviation to Honor and Celebrate A World Day For One of These Two Great Concepts: “World Children Heart Day” Or “World Congenital Heart Disease Day”. Acad J Ped Neonatol 2023; 12(5): 555903. 10.19080/AJPN.2024.13.555903

Keywords: Heart Disease; Children Heart; Heart Failure

“WCHD”

An abbreviation to honor and celebrate a world day for one of these two great concepts: “World Children Heart Day” or “World Congenital Heart Disease Day” “...thanks for all of those who give their hearts to children with love ...”

The presence of heart diseases in children is very difficult for parents and is accompanied by a sad feeling. Many different types of heart diseases can affect children. These diseases have a wide spectrum and include the main categories: congenital heart diseases (CHDs), acquired heart diseases, heart failure and arrhythmias. Among these, congenital heart diseases are of great importance and are an important and fundamental health problem in all countries of the world. ~ 9% of child deaths are due to congenital birth defects and congenital heart diseases are the most common type of congenital birth defects. in every 1000 live births, 8-12 infants are affected and every 4 affected children, one infant has a severe, serious and complicated type of the disease. This type is fatal in infancy and urgent need for diagnosis, intervention and surgical procedure. [1,2] CHDs have various complications and disabilities, mortality and also high costs for healthcare systems. 30% of affected children have developmental delays and cognitive disorders. These disorders in complex and severe cases are more common. Complications and long-term problems of CHDs include stenosis and insufficiency of heart valves, pulmonary hypertension, Arrythmia, Endocarditis, Heart failure, Redo cardiac surgery or Intervention, brain complications and stroke and mental disorders. [2]

Currently with better access to healthcare services and advances in the field of pediatric cardiology and pediatric cardiac surgery, 95% of uncomplicated cases and 70% of complex and severe cases, reach the age of 18 and above. [2] most cases of death occur in countries with low socioeconomic level. Currently about 12 million people in the world live with congenital heart diseases [3].

In order to make society and the general public aware of the importance of heart diseases in children, especially congenital heart diseases, there is a need to set a world day for this issue. With the various educational programs of the governments and the healthcare system of the countries on this day, we can hope that better planning for the management of heart diseases in children will be done at different levels of the society and ultimately the mortality rate and complications of these diseases will be reduced. Undoubtedly, having healthier children brings a better and more beautiful future for us and the generations after us. For this purpose, an abbreviation can be used: “WCHD” This can mean two important issues: “World Children Heart Day” or “World Congenital Heart Disease Day”. What day can be chosen in the calendar for this purpos?

Influential and Revolutionary Dates Can Be Suggested:

• 18 March: Date of birth of Dr. Maude Elizabeth Seymour Abbott, the founder and mother of the description of congenital heart diseases on 18 March 1868 [4] (Figure 1).

• 26 August: date of the first successful patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) closure surgery in the world by Dr. Robert Edward Gross on 26 August 1938 [5] (Figure 2).

• 29 November: date of the first successful systemic to pulmonary shunt surgery (BT shunt) in the world for clinical improvement of children with cyanotic congenital heart diseases by Dr. Alfred Blalock, Dr. Helen Brooke Taussig on 29 November 1944 [5] (Figure 3).

• 6 May: date of the first open heart surgery using total cardiopulmonary bypass machine in the world. Dr. John Heysham Gibbon succeeded in closing atrial septal defect (ASD) by using cardiopulmonary bypass machine on 6 May 1953 [5] (Figure 4).

We are grateful to the great men and women who paved the way for the treatment of children suffering from heart diseases with their efforts and perseverance. in the hope of a painless, better and more beautiful world for all the children of the world. 4 Influential and Revolutionary Dates in the Pediatric Cardiology History (Figure 1-4).

References

1. https://ourworldindata.org/child-mortality
2. https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/heartdefects/index.html
3. (1990-2017) Global, regional, and national burden of congenital heart disease, 1990 -2017: a systematic analysis for the global burden of disease study 2017, thelancet.com/child-adolescent vol 4 march 2020.
4. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/maude_abbott
5. Jacqueline A Noonan (2004) A history of pediatric specialties: the development of pediatric cardiology, pediatric research 56(2): 298-306.