pediatric cardiology

When children carry excess weight for their height, they may be at risk for developing health problems such as heart disease, high blood pressure, and cholesterol (lipid) abnormalities. Our preventive cardiology clinic helps these children avoid serious heart problems by identifying the early warning signs of heart disease in children. Our friendly team helps provides variety of services, including:

• A comprehensive evaluation of heart function
• Supportive education for healthy eating and weight management
• Information and support to improve the fitness level in a variety of ways
• Medications to help lower blood pressure and cholesterol
• Referrals for lab tests to help evaluate heart disease risk
• Referrals to other specialty programs at Dayton Children’s that can provide additional support, such as the lipid clinic, nephrology department and pediatric sleep center

Thanks to major advances in medical and surgical care, most children who are born with a congenital heart defect are living into adulthood. As adults, they need to remain under the expert care of cardiology specialists who have expertise in treating patients with congenital heart defects. That is why Dayton Children’s has partnered with Nationwide Children’s Hospital, whose Columbus Ohio Adult Congenital Heart Disease (COACH) Program meets the unique needs of this patient population. 

Syncope is a partial or complete loss of consciousness, otherwise known as fainting. Children who experience syncope are often diagnosed with POTS, or postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome. Our pediatric cardiologists can help confirm a diagnosis of POTS or determine whether another condition is to blame, then establish a treatment plan to prevent syncope.

Chest pain is rarely a sign of serious trouble in children, but it can prevent them from participating in sports and other activities. The cause can be something as simple as a pulled muscle, or exercise-induced asthma. In rare cases, it may be something more serious. Our pediatric cardiologists are dedicated to providing a rapid diagnosis to help put parents’ minds at ease and get kids back to the activities they enjoy.

We offer most of our testing right in the clinic, including all forms of pediatric echocardiography (transthoracic, fetal and transesophageal). Our echocardiography lab is fully accredited by the Intersocietal Commission for the Accreditation of Echocardiography Laboratories.

Learning that your child needs heart surgery (or any type of heart procedure) can certainly be frightening and overwhelming. We want to make sure that the next steps are as organized and stress-free as possible. This is why we have partnered with Nationwide Children’s Hospital for a one program, two campus approach to providing heart surgery and other heart procedures for our patients.

The fetal cardiac clinic includes a fetal echocardiogram, a non-invasive ultrasound study of the heart of an unborn baby. After the echocardiogram, patients will have a consultation with one of our board-certified pediatric cardiologists. 

Dayton Children’s Hospital is a proud affiliate with Project ADAM (Automated Defibrillators in Adam’s Memory), a nationally recognized initiative focused on providing resources and education to establish cardiac emergency response plans in the event of sudden cardiac arrest.

Through this partnership, Dayton Children’s works to increase cardiac emergency preparedness in schools, sports facilities and community organizations throughout the region. The program aims to equip and empower these spaces with life-saving tools and training to ensure rapid responses to sudden cardiac events and to meet requirements of House Bill 47.