The Heart of a Child: What Families Need to Know about Heart Disorders in Children

By Carleen Clark, Catherine A. Neill, Edward B. Clark, et al.

Book Overview

From birth to adolescence, from doctor's office to playground.

Written for parents whose child has a heart disorder, this book provides up-to-date and reliable information from medical experts on children's heart problems. The first edition of The Heart of a Child was widely praised for helping families understand and cope with heart disorders, and many support organizations and websites now recommend this book as "must have" for families. Reflecting changes in treatment and new knowledge about genetics, as well as changes in the system for health care delivery, the text and illustrations have been thoroughly updated with the latest developments in understanding and treating heart problems in children.

The second edition includes:

- New and updated information on the genetics of heart defects, including syndromes associated with heart defects

- Descriptions of new approaches to treatment, including surgery and medication

- Advice on how to deal with managed care

- Information about advances in prenatal care

- Updated list of websites, references, and resources for families

- A note to grandparents

Written by experts in pediatric cardiology from the Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions and the University of Utah Medical Center, this new edition of The Heart of a Child uses case examples, questions-and-answers, detailed drawings, and careful descriptions to explain the causes of heart disorders, how they are discovered and diagnosed, how they affect children, and how they are treated.

The overriding principle of modern treatment is to restore the child who has a heart problem to the best possible health with the minimum of tests and procedures. The Heart of a Child helps parents understand the challenges, the options, the decisions--and the many reasons for hope.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0801866367
• ISBN13: 9780801866364
• Release Date: June 2001
• Publisher: Johns Hopkins University Press
• Length: 360 Pages
• Weight: 1.20 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 6.2" x 9.2"
• Age Range: 18 years and up
• Grade Range: Postsecondary and higher

Customer Reviews

Superb book for new cardiac parents

Out of all the books in my collection on pediatric cardiac conditions I will have to say that this is the best one out there so far. It has more defects in it and describes them in simple terms then the others books I have seen. This is the first book a new parent should purchase when they find out that their child has a cardiac condition.

Congenital Heart Defects

As parents of two children with congenital heart defects, we found this book to be a wonderful resource. It is a must buy for parents who find themselves faced with the prospect of raising a child with a heart condition. This book does a wonderful job of describing the types of heart defects in terms the average person can understand.

Very good, but the information seems outdated.

This book was very informative, but we have found that the newer publication released in 1998 was more up to date. "Heart Defects in Children - What Every Parent Should Know" was written by a nurse, and has easier to understand explainations of the defects. It also has a draw in heart section where you can more easily visualize your child's defect. Check it out.

Very Good

I learned a lot from reading this book when my daughter was in the hospital having her first heart surgery. But the mortality statistics are outdated. The outcomes for children having heart surgery and children with HLHS and Truncus are much more hopeful than they were in 1992.

I call this book "My Heart Bible"

This book helps a parent understand all the medical terminology that they will encounter in their journey with their heart child.