Heart Defects at Birth

I found some information on a condition called Dextrocardia. I found a site listed as heartsofhopemi.org that says "Dextrocardia is believed to occur in 1 in 10,000 births Dextrocardia is a rare congenital condition (from birth) in which the heart is on the right-hand side of the body instead of the left. This is a rare condition. If the heart has developed normally, it does not pose any problems and no treatment will be necessary. Congenital heart defects can, however, in some rare cases accompany dextrocardia. In people with dextrocardia, other organs can also be in the reverse position, like the abdominal organs." There are several sites listed if you do a google search on it. Take anything you read on the internet with a grain of salt. Sometimes the more medical information you have the more complex some of these conditions seem. Has the pediatrician scheduled an appointment with a pediatric cardiologist for your son? That would probably give you the most accurate information on your son's condition.

Jennifer

A.,

Hi, I am an x-ray tech and the condition you are asking about is called situs reversus. There are more people that have this than you may think. This condition is just what the name says. All the organs in the body are on the opposite side. I hope all goes well and if you have any questions please ask.

S.

A.,
I think you're talking about Situs Inversus Totalis. Or if it's only the heart that is reversed, Dextrocardia. It sounds like things are just an exact mirror image to what they should be. Everything I can find suggests that life expectancy is normal with extremely low risk of cardiac abnormalities. Just to put your mind at ease, you could get him checked out by a pediatric cardiologist.

Good luck!
T.

A. R,

As a teen, I had a girlfriend with this 'condition'. In her case, all of her organs were reversed. She was a very svelt, athletic, healthy and talented ballerina. From what I understand she never had an symptoms or problems. She was as healthy as the next kid. The only thing is she made sure she had a bracelet announcing her 'condition' just in case she was ever in a situation where she was unavailable for consultation.
I hope all goes equally well for your son.

M. H

I have heard of a condition called "Transposition of the Great arteries" where the two great arteries (aorta and pulmonary artery) are reversed. I am not sure if this is what you are talking about- if it is- I would use google.com to get the specifics.

Hi A.,

The condition that you are talking about is called situs invernus that is the general term for when organs are on opposite sides from where they would normally be found. The term for the placement of the heart is dextocardia. I hope that helps.

D.

:)