Congenital heart disease is one of the common birth defects among the newborns. According to foreign reports, generally, its incidence is 7-8 ‰. Health statistics show that in our city, from 2000 to 2004, the prevalence rate of congenital heart disease among 0-2 year-old children reaches 4.6-5.9 ‰, and it has become the first killer for the death of children under 5 years old for 10 consecutive years. Therefore, the prevention and treatment of children congenital heart disease is increasingly attracting the attention and care of the health departments.

Congenital heart disease can be divided into cyanotic and non-cyanotic type. Cyanotic type includes Tetralogy of Fallot, Complete Transposition of the Great Arteries and Pulmonary Atresia. Non-cyanotic type comprises Atrial Septal Defect, Ventricular Septal Defect and Patent Ductus Arteriosus. At present, about half of the children with congenital heart disease can be cured or carried out palliative surgery in the neonatal period, thereby reducing the incidence of death and improving life quality of children so that these children may grow up healthily. Therefore, early detection and diagnosis of congenital heart disease has become particularly important.

Management Measures stipulates that carrying out screening of children congenital heart disease in Beijing is for the purpose of early detection of children with congenital heart disease and timely diagnosis and treatment. The institutions responsible for screening are health care institutions undertaking child health care task designated by all community health services, township and town hospitals and health administrative departments at district and county levels. The objectives of screening are 0-6 year-old children born and living in our city, and the methods include inquiry, observation, cardiac auscultation, testing oxygen saturation of infants’ blood. The screening is during the period of home visits of screening institutions to newborn and regular health physical check-ups to children aged 0-6 and follows the principles of following the guidance of medical staff and the informed consent of guardians.

For the suspicious children with congenital heart disease, screening institutions should tell parents to visit the medical institutions designated by Beijing Municipal Health Bureau for further examination and diagnosis with referral forms. At present, the city designated the Beijing Children’s Hospital, Fuwai Hospital, Anzhen Hospital and Hua Xin Hospital as diagnosis and treatment institutions. As long as parents of children go to these four major hospitals with the referral forms issued by primary medical institutions, their children will get the care of hospitals and specialists and receiving the treatment at the day can be basically guaranteed. In addition, these large hospitals also undertake the tasks of training, continuing education and quality inspection to the screening staff of the grass-roots institutions. For more details, you can dial “12320” for consultation.