Can My Kid Really Do That?

Being a parent of a child with a heart defect is a frightening thing when you consider physical activity and the stress on the heart.  But summer is almost here; it's a time for swimming and baseball and lots of outdoor physical activity, which brings a discussion about exercise to mind.  Single ventricle kids have to work pretty hard sometimes to match what they want to do, with what their bodies allow them to do, but that is no reason to keep them out of the pool or off the baseball field. The heart is a muscle after all, and it needs exercise to stay conditioned. Research studies have shown that exercise can improve cardiac function in a child’s heart that has been damaged by a heart defect. Please talk with your child’s cardiologist about what is recommended for your child.  A general guideline for single ventricle kids is no competitive or contact sports due to the excessive strain on the heart and the risk of bleeding. There are however many other activities to enjoy; swimming, golf, tennis and bike-riding are great low impact aerobic activities.  Hydration is important in maintaining body temperature for single ventricle kids, so drinking a lot of water is a must when outdoors.

I recently read a wonderful story by an undergraduate student who wrote about her experience as a volunteer at a camp for heart kids.  Please follow this link to read her story:

http://www.pelinks4u.org/articles/negron0809.htm

The Hospital for Sick Children in Ontario Canada has an ongoing research study titled, “Optimizing Health among Children with Congenital Heart Defects,” which can be found at:

http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT00974688

The warm summer months are when our children thrive, so get out there and enjoy it!