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Physical activity –
What if my child
has a congenital
heart condition?
Advice for parents and carers
If you have a
child who has
a congenital
heart condition,
this booklet is
for you.
This booklet does not replace the advice
that health professionals involved in the care
of your child may give, as they know more
about your child’s condition.
Contents
About this booklet
5
Is it safe for my child to do physical activity?
6
How much physical activity should my child do?
9
What are the benefits of regular physical activity
for my child?
12
Where can I get information about the activity my child can do? 15
What are the signs and symptoms to look out for
when my child is active?
18
What can I do to help?
22
Are some types of physical activity better than
others for people with congenital heart conditions? 24
Are there any types of physical activity that my
child should avoid?
33
What about taking part in PE, sports and
physical activity at school? 38
What else can I do to encourage my child
to be active?
40
What to do if someone has a cardiac arrest 43
About the British Heart Foundation
50
For more information
51
About this booklet
If you have a child who has a congenital
heart condition, this booklet is for you.
(A congenital heart condition is when there
is an abnormality in the heart, or in the main
blood vessels that are joined to the heart,
which was there at birth.)
The booklet:
explains why it is good for your child
to be physically active
❤❤ provides information to help you make
it easy and enjoyable for your child to be
physically active safely, within the limits
of their condition
❤❤ aims to make sure your child is not put
off being active because of unnecessary
anxiety about their heart condition
❤❤ looks at the worries that you or your child
may have about physical activity and how
they can be overcome.
❤❤
5
Is it safe for my child
to do physical activity?
Yes. There are very few children and young people who
will be advised not to do any physical activity. (You should
have been told if this was the case for your child. If you’re
not sure, ask your paediatric cardiac nurse specialist or
congenital cardiologist.)
Your child’s paediatric cardiac nurse specialist or congenital
cardiologist will tell you what your child can do and if
there is anything your child should avoid doing. Everyone
is different, so you must get individual advice about your
child’s heart condition.
6
How much physical
activity should my
child do?
To improve health, experts recommend that children
and young people aged 5-17 years should do at least
60 minutes of moderate to vigorous intensity physical
activity every day. This applies to all children and young
people, including those with medical conditions.
Moderate-intensity activity is activity that may raise your
child’s pulse, and make them breathe slightly faster and feel
a little warmer – for example, brisk walking, dancing, steady
cycling, roller-skating or active play.
Vigorous-intensity activity is activity that will make your
child ‘huff and puff’ and make them feel sweaty – for
example, organised games such as football and netball
as well as activities such as running, fast cycling, swimming
laps, and jumping and climbing over obstacles.
See page 24 for information on which of the activities
mentioned above are most suitable for your child.
9
The 60 minutes activity doesn’t have to be done all at once.
It can be spread across the whole day by doing several
shorter amounts of activity – for example, two short bouts
of 15 minutes activity running round in the playground
combined with a longer bout of programmed activity such
as PE or supervised recreational activity.
How much your child can do depends on their particular
heart condition and how well their heart functions during
physical activity. Your child’s congenital cardiologist can tell
you this.
Your child may need to think about how much effort they
put into their activity. For example, they may need to take
part at a lower level of intensity than other children or young
people of their age, and stop to rest at regular intervals.
Most people can do more than they think, and being short
of breath during physical activity may be due to being unfit
and may not have anything to do with your child’s heart
condition.
10
The talk test
A simple way to find out if your child is doing the appropriate
level of activity is to use the ‘talk test’. Your child should aim to
feel warm and a bit ‘puffed’ but should still be able to talk in
full sentences during a physical activity session. If your child is
too breathless to talk, they are probably working too hard and
need to slow down or stop to rest. They can usually re-start
the activity when their breathing is more controlled. If they
have enough breath to be able to sing, they are not exercising
hard enough to gain the benefits of physical activity.
If your child is currently inactive, they should gradually
increase the amount of physical activity they do, and should
aim to eventually achieve the 60 minutes a day target. If your
child is currently not doing any physical activity, doing some
activity – even if it’s below the recommended level – will
bring more benefits than doing no physical activity at all.
Any physical activity is better than none, and generally the
more the better.
11
What are the benefits
of regular physical
activity for my child?
There is lots of evidence that children and young
people benefit from being physically active. This applies
to all children and young people, including those with
a congenital heart condition.
Regular physical activity can:
❤❤ promote healthy growth and development
As well as the benefits listed opposite, regular physical
activity has the following important benefits for children
and young people with congenital heart conditions.
❤❤ The heart is a muscle, and regular physical activity
can improve the function of the heart and circulation.
❤❤ It can help improve lung function and lung capacity.
❤❤ Physical activity boosts the immune system and
improves the feeling of well-being.
❤❤ When they first start doing more physical activity,
some children and young people with congenital
heart conditions feel more tired, but with time stamina
and energy levels improve.
❤❤ help develop strong muscles and bones
❤❤ improve balance and flexibility
❤❤ help achieve and maintain a healthy body weight
❤❤ make them feel good, improve their mood and help
them cope with the stresses of everyday life
❤❤ improve self-esteem and body image
❤❤ provide opportunities to make friends
❤❤ build confidence and help develop social skills.
12
13
Where can I get
information about
the activity my child
can do?
It’s important to get information about what activity your
child can do, and if there is anything they should avoid
doing. You can get this information from the paediatric
cardiac nurse specialist or the congenital cardiologist based
at the specialist cardiac centre (rather than from the local
hospital cardiac clinic which your child may attend).
Questions to ask the paediatric cardiac nurse specialist:
1 Are there any particular symptoms to look out
for when my child is doing physical activity?
2 Is my child taking regular medication for their heart
condition? And if so, does this have any implications
for the type or level of physical activity they can do?
3 Should my child’s involvement in physical activity
be restricted?
15
You can also ask the paediatric cardiac nurse specialist
for specific guidance about your child so that this can
be passed on to your child’s school. The school can
then make sure that this information is accessible to
all teachers and physical activity leaders, to help them
plan appropriate activities for your child. The information
should be updated at the start of each school year, and
also if there is any medical change in your child’s condition
– for example, if he or she has surgery or another type
of treatment.
16
What are the signs
and symptoms
to look out for when
my child is active?
It’s OK and ‘normal’ for your child to feel warm, breathe
harder, look ‘flushed’ and feel his or her heart beat faster
during physical activity.
What to do
If you notice any of the signs and symptoms listed opposite:
❤❤ Get your child to stop and rest.
❤❤ Stay with them and reassure them.
❤❤ If they don’t get better quite quickly, or if the symptoms
get worse, call 999 for an ambulance (unless you have
been specifically advised to act differently by your
child’s paediatric cardiac nurse specialist or congenital
cardiologist).
Your child should stop to rest if he or she:
❤❤ says they feel dizzy or feel faint
❤❤ becomes so breathless they cannot speak
❤❤ says they have palpitations
❤❤ becomes very pale and clammy
❤❤ complains of severe tiredness or fatigue
❤❤ becomes extremely blue (if they have a cyanotic
heart condition), or
❤❤ develops new or unusual symptoms during,
or immediately after, a physical activity session.
18
19
In the very unlikely event that your child collapses and
becomes unconscious, call 999 straight away and ask for an
ambulance. Tell them it is for an unconscious child or young
person and whether they are breathing normally or not.
❤❤ If your child is breathing normally, place him or her
in the recovery position.
❤❤ If they are not breathing normally, start cardiopulmonary
resuscitation (CPR) immediately. (See page 43 for how
to do this.) Continue doing CPR until:
the ambulance crew arrives and takes over, or
❤
❤ your child starts to show signs of regaining
consciousness such as coughing, opening their
eyes, speaking or moving purposefully and starts
to breathe normally, or
you become exhausted.
❤
If your child develops any new or unusual symptoms
either during or immediately after a physical activity
session, you should report this to your child’s GP and to the
paediatric cardiac nurse specialist or congenital cardiologist.
20
What can I do to help?
Encourage your child to be active.
Everyone should try to do regular physical activity. If, as
a result of their heart condition, your child has symptoms
– such as breathlessness – that limit the amount of activity
they can do, just let them do what they can, but at their
own pace and their own level.
Try a range of different activities.
Encourage your child to try a range of different activities
to find out which ones they enjoy and which ones they
can cope with better. See page 24 for some physical
activity ideas.
Teach your child to warm up and cool down.
Your child should always warm up for at least 10 minutes
before physical activity, and cool down gradually
afterwards, to allow their breathing and heart rate to
return gradually to their normal level. Warming up means
beginning physical activity slowly and building up gradually.
Cooling down means taking time to slow down and not
stopping physical activity suddenly.
22
Ask for individual advice for your child.
Always ask your child’s congenital cardiologist or paediatric
cardiac nurse specialist for individual guidance and advice
about your child. Remember that everyone is different
and your child’s heart condition may change with time.
So always ask about physical activity at clinic appointments.
If you have any queries in between appointments, phone
or email the paediatric cardiac nurse specialist.
Make sure your child has a BHF card.
If your child is aged 13 to 19, make sure they have a BHF card.
Your child can use this ‘ID card’ in situations where they need
to prove they have a heart condition and to show what
type of heart condition they have. This can help teachers
and physical activity leaders to have a better understanding
of what type of physical activity your child can and cannot
do, although they will still need to know about your child’s
individual abilities and limitations. The card also gives
information on what to do in case of an emergency.
The BHF card is only issued by cardiac specialists. Ask your
child’s congenital cardiologist or paediatric cardiac nurse
specialist for a BHF card at their next appointment.
23
Are some types of
physical activity better
than others for people
with congenital heart
conditions?
You may need to think about the type of physical activity
that your child can do, especially if they are very limited by
their symptoms. This is because some activities are better
than others for people with congenital heart conditions.
Dynamic aerobic activities such as walking, running,
swimming, cycling, dancing and non-contact team games
are generally better for children with congenital heart
conditions, as these can be done at low impact, low intensity
and intermittently. (Intermittently means doing periods of
activity interspersed with activity of a reduced intensity.)
If your child has been advised by their specialist cardiac
centre to restrict their activity in any way, good questions
to ask yourself are: ‘Can my child be relied on to take part
at a lower level of intensity?’ and ‘Will they slow down
or stop to rest when they need to?’
Team games
Some children and young people with congenital heart
conditions may struggle to complete a full team game of,
for example, football, netball, hockey or basketball. However,
they may be able to cope if they are allowed to take part
in short sessions with rests in between. If possible, the rest
periods should include some activity such as walking or
keeping the feet moving while sitting down. Playing in
positions that need less movement around the field or pitch
may be helpful. Make sure that peer pressure or ‘competitive
spirit’ does not make your child over-exert themselves, either
because they don’t want to let their team mates down,
or out of a desire to ‘do better’.
The most important issue with taking part in physical
activity is your child’s level of participation in the activity,
and their competitive spirit, rather than the particular
sport or activity itself. For example, if your child is very
competitive by nature and/or has difficulty in self-regulating
their physical activity, they may need more supervision than
someone with a more relaxed attitude.
24
25
Racquet and net games
Striking and fielding games
Activities such as tennis, badminton and volleyball are often
suitable for children and young people with congenital
heart conditions, as they can be done at a lower intensity
if necessary. Some children and young people, especially
those with a cyanotic heart condition (a condition which
causes blueness), may find it difficult to complete a singles
match but may cope better if playing doubles, or if the
activity is adapted, or if a smaller playing area is used. The
point about peer pressure or competitive spirit mentioned
on page 24 also applies to racquet and net games.
Activities such as cricket, rounders and softball may be
suitable for children and young people with congenital
heart conditions, as they are all games where some players
can be inactive while others may work intensively for short
periods. To accommodate children and young people with
congenital heart conditions, teachers or physical activity
leaders may need to adapt the activity. For example,
if your child is batting in cricket, they could have someone
who ‘runs for them’.
26
27
Target games
Activities such as golf, bowls, archery and pétanque are
low‑intensity activities which are ideal for children and
young people who have reduced exercise tolerance due
to their congenital heart condition. (‘Reduced exercise
tolerance’ means that they are limited in how much physical
activity they can do because of their heart condition.)
Athletics and distance running
Endurance activities such as distance running and crosscountry may present problems for some children and
young people with congenital heart conditions, due to
their lower exercise tolerance. These activities may need to
be adapted for children and young people with congenital
heart conditions. For example, they may be able to take part
but at a lower intensity or walking pace, or alternate jogging
and walking, or complete a shorter course.
Take care with throwing and jumping activities that require
a lot of short bursts of intense effort, as these may put stress
on the body.
Gymnastics and dance activities
With these activities, the level of participation can be
controlled relatively easily and there is less of a competitive
element. Your child should be able to do these activities,
provided they are allowed to pace their activity themselves.
28
If your child takes warfarin or has a pacemaker or ICD, they
should take care when doing gymnastic apparatus work.
Yoga, pilates and T’ai Chi
Yoga, pilates and T’ai Chi may be suitable activities for
children and young people with congenital heart conditions.
Personal fitness programmes
If your child wants to do a personal fitness training
programme, before starting the programme first check
with your child’s congenital cardiologist or paediatric
cardiac nurse specialist at the specialist cardiac centre.
This is particularly important if high-intensity activities
or weight-training are planned as part of the programme.
Swimming
Recreational swimming indoors is a good activity for most
children and young people with congenital heart conditions
as they can do it at their own pace. However, swimming is
not suitable for any child or young person who has frequent
fainting or dizzy spells. You should get individual advice from
the specialist cardiac centre about whether swimming is a
good activity for your child.
Your child should avoid breath-holding and surface-diving
activities such as searching for objects at the bottom
of the pool.
29
Those with cyanotic (blue) conditions may not tolerate
a very cold pool and may need extra time for changing
and getting dressed, as they may get breathless and tired
more easily.
For information about high-intensity activities such as swim
training and competition-level swimming, see page 34.
Adventure and outdoor activities
Many children and young people with a congenital heart
condition may be able to attend outdoor activity centres
and school trips and take part in, for example, water sports,
rock climbing, hiking, skiing, orienteering, paintballing,
mountain biking and Duke of Edinburgh challenges.
However, you should get individual advice from your child’s
specialist cardiac centre before your child takes part in
activities such as these.
Important
❤❤ You should get individual advice from your child’s
specialist cardiac centre before your child takes part
in any activity where the level of participation or the
emotional stress involved is higher than in their normal
everyday or school activities.
❤❤ Some of the activities listed on pages 24-30 may not
be suitable for some children and young people with
heart conditions.
❤❤ See pages 35 to 36 for extra precautions for children
and young people who:
have a cyanotic heart condition (a condition that
causes blueness)
❤ sometimes get dizziness or fainting
❤
are taking the anticoagulant warfarin, or
❤
have a pacemaker or an implantable cardioverter
defibrillator (ICD).
❤
30
31
Are there any types
of physical activity that
my child should avoid?
Ask your child’s congenital cardiologist or paediatric cardiac
nurse specialist if there are any activities that it would be
better for your child to avoid. Everyone is different, and your
child’s heart condition may change over time, so you need
to make sure you always have up-to-date information.
If you’re not sure, check with your specialist cardiac centre.
Breath-holding activities
As a general guide, it is better for children and young people
with a congenital heart condition to avoid activities that
cause breath-holding. There is often a tendency to do this
when lifting heavy weights, or doing sit-ups, push-ups or
chin-ups. It also includes breath-holding during stretching
exercises, and in swimming during breath-holding and
surface-diving activities such as searching for objects at the
bottom of the pool. (And it includes playing some brass and
woodwind instruments.)
33
Activities that involve breath-holding may be harmful
in some people with congenital heart conditions for the
following reasons.
❤❤ It causes a sudden rise in blood pressure, which puts
strain on the heart and major blood vessels.
❤❤ In some congenital heart conditions, the sudden rise
in blood pressure can direct blood to the lungs and
this can result in a significant drop in cardiac output.
❤❤ It often means there’s more force on the chest wall.
If your child has a surgical scar on their chest, this may
become stretched or strained, particularly in the early
months after surgery.
High-intensity activities
Some children and young people with heart conditions
may be advised to avoid high-intensity, sustained, dynamic
activities such as basketball, triathlon, competitive-level
swimming, cycling or distance running and competitive
team sports. Your child’s paediatric cardiac nurse specialist
or congenital cardiologist will tell you if this applies to
your child.
34
Important
❤❤ If your child has a cyanotic heart condition (which
causes blueness)
In children and young people who have a cyanotic heart
condition, the blueness can be seen as a ‘dusky’ or blue
tinge to the skin, lips and tongue. It is more difficult to see
in children with darker skin tones. Children with cyanotic
heart conditions have a much lower exercise tolerance
than other children of their age, but most can take part
in physical activities provided they ‘pace’ themselves and
stop to rest when they are tired. These are some ways
you can help:
Make sure your child is appropriately dressed for
activity during very hot or very cold weather, or when
it is very windy.
❤
Allow your child more time to carry out their activities
– for example, getting changed for activities, or
getting dry and dressed after swimming.
❤
Avoid your child getting dehydrated at any time,
to minimise the risk of headaches.
❤
❤❤ If your child sometimes gets symptoms such as
dizziness or fainting, they should avoid activities
where a fall could be very harmful, such as water-based
activities, horse-riding, motor sports, climbing and skiing.
35
❤❤ If your child takes warfarin, or if they have a pacemaker
or an ICD, it is better for them to avoid activities or
contact sports where there is a repeatedly high risk
of body collision – either with other people or with
hard surfaces or equipment – for example, hockey,
rugby, football, judo, kick-boxing and gymnastic
apparatus work. This is because there is a small risk
of bleeding or bruising, or of damaging the leads of the
pacemaker or ICD. If your child is taking warfarin, they
should take particular care with the head and abdomen.
If your child has an ICD that has recently delivered an
electrical shock (to restore a normal heart rhythm), they
should also follow the advice for those who sometimes
get symptoms of dizziness or fainting, shown on page
35. This is because they will have lost consciousness
when the ICD delivered the shock.
36
What about taking part
in PE, sports and physical
activity at school?
How you can help
❤❤ Encourage your child to take part in PE and physical
activity at school and in after-school clubs – at their
own pace and within their own limitations.
❤❤ Make sure you keep your child’s teachers and physical
Taking part in Physical Education (PE) and other physical
activities at school is important for your child, both for their
long-term health and well-being and to make sure they are
fully involved in school life.
activity leaders (for example, after-school club leaders
or coaches) fully informed about your child’s heart
condition. Give them detailed information about
what type and level of activity your child can do, any
restrictions your child has, and what they should do if
your child gets any symptoms. You can ask your child’s
paediatric cardiac nurse specialist for help with this.
❤❤ Talk to your child’s teacher about how your child is
coping with PE and other physical activities at school.
❤❤ If you feel that your child’s teachers or physical activity
leaders are ‘over-protecting’ your child in terms of the
amount of activity he or she is allowed to do, show
them the report provided by the paediatric cardiac
nurse specialist.
38
39
What else can I do
to encourage my child to be active?
❤❤ Remember that your child doesn’t have to be ‘sporty’
or join a team or a gym in order to take part in physical
activity. Walking, or dancing to their favourite music, for
example, are excellent forms of activity and cost nothing.
❤❤ Encourage them to try new activities with friends and
join local or after-school activity clubs.
❤❤ Limit the amount of time your child spends on sitting-
down activities each day – for example, watching TV,
being on the computer, or using games consoles.
❤❤ Praise and reward your child for being active. Be positive
about their achievements, big or small, and reward them
for persistence and taking part.
❤❤ If your child enjoys sport, that is fine, but if they don’t
it really doesn’t matter. Just find another way to keep
them active doing something they enjoy.
❤❤ Any activity is better than none at all!
❤❤ Encourage the whole family to be more active and
set a good example yourself. Try walking to school
or to the shop and use the car less.
❤❤ Go for family walks, go to the park, and play games
with your children.
40
41
What to do if someone
has a cardiac arrest
If the person seems to be unconscious
❤❤ Check for danger: Approach with care, making sure that
you, the person and anybody nearby are safe.
❤❤ Check for response: To find out if the person is conscious,
gently shake him or her, and shout loudly,
‘Are you all right?’
❤❤ If there is no response, shout for help.
You will need to assess the casualty and take suitable action.
Remember ABC – Airway, Breathing, CPR.
If you have been taught adult basic life support and have
no specific knowledge of resuscitating children, use the
adult sequence given on page 44.
43
A
Airway
Open the person’s airway
by tilting their head back
and lifting their chin.
C
CPR
Action: Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR)
1 Chest compressions
Start chest compressions.
❤❤ Place the heel of one hand in the centre of the person’s
chest. This means on the lower half of their breastbone.
❤❤ Place the heel of your other hand on top of the first hand
B
and interlock your fingers.
Breathing
Check
Look, listen and feel for signs of normal breathing. Only do
this for up to 10 seconds. If you’re not sure if their breathing
is normal, act as if it is not normal.
Action: Get help
If the person is unconscious and is not breathing
normally, phone 999 for an ambulance. Send someone
else to do this if you can, and ask them to come back and
tell you they have done it. If you’re alone, go and phone 999
and then return to the person immediately.
When asking for help, ask for an automated external
defibrillator (AED) if one is available.
44
❤❤ Make sure that you are not applying pressure over the
person’s ribs or upper abdomen or the bottom end
of the breastbone. Press down firmly and smoothly
30 times at a depth of about
5- 6 centimetres. Do this at a
rate of 100-120 times a minute.
That’s about two each second.
For children you must compress the chest by at least
one-third of its depth. Use either one or two hands to
achieve the right amount of compression.
45
2 Rescue breaths
After 30 compressions, open the airway again by tilting the
head back and lifting the chin, and give two breaths to the
person. These are called rescue breaths. The two breaths
should not take more than 5 seconds.
To do this, pinch the person’s nostrils closed using your
index finger and thumb. Take a normal breath and blow
steadily into the person’s mouth, making sure that no air
can leak out, and watching for their chest to rise.
Take about one second to make their chest rise as in normal
breathing. This is an effective rescue breath.
3 Continue CPR
Keep doing the 30 chest compressions followed by 2 rescue
breaths until:
❤❤ the ambulance crew arrives and takes over, or
❤❤ the person starts to show signs of regaining
consciousness such as coughing, opening their eyes,
speaking or moving purposefully and starts to breathe
normally, or
❤❤ you become exhausted.
If you have not been trained to do CPR, or if you’re
not able or not willing to give rescue breaths
Keeping the person’s head tilted and chin lifted, take your
mouth away from the person and watch for their chest
to fall as air comes out.
Give chest compressions only, as described in step 1
on page 45. Keep doing the chest compressions –
at a rate of 100-120 times a minute – until:
Take another normal breath and blow into the person’s
mouth again, to give a second effective rescue breath.
Then, without delay, return your hands to the correct
position on the breastbone and give a further 30 chest
compressions and then 2 rescue breaths.
❤❤ the ambulance crew arrives and takes over, or
❤❤
the child or young person starts to show signs
of regaining consciousness such as coughing,
opening their eyes, speaking or moving
purposefully and starts to breathe normally, or
❤❤ you become exhausted.
46
47
Note
If you have been trained to do so, you can make the
following changes to the adult sequence to make it more
suitable for use in children:
❤❤ Give 5 initial rescue breaths before starting chest
compressions.
❤❤ If you are on your own, perform CPR for 1 minute before
going for help.
❤❤ Compress the chest by one-third of its depth. For a child
over 1 year, use either one or two hands as necessary to
achieve the right amount of compression. For an infant
under 1 year, use two fingers.
48
About the British
Heart Foundation
For more information
The British Heart Foundation (BHF) is the nation’s heart
charity, saving lives through pioneering research, patient
care and vital information.
British Heart Foundation
bhf.org.uk
For general information about heart disease.
What you can do for us
We rely on donations of time and money to continue our
life-saving work. If you would like to make a donation, please:
❤❤ call our donation hotline on 0300 330 3322
❤❤ visit bhf.org.uk/donate, or
❤❤ post it to us at the address on the back cover.
For other ways to support our work,
see bhf.org.uk/supportus
50
Heart health
yheart.net/meet
The BHF’s website for young people with heart conditions.
Website for over-11s: yheart.net
Website for under-11s: cbhf.net
Children’s Heart Federation
0808 808 5000
www.chfed.org.uk
The leading children’s heart charity and umbrella body for voluntary
organisations, working to meet the needs of children and young
people with heart conditions and their families.
Grown Up Congenital Heart Patients Association
www.guch.org.uk
Supports young people and adults born with heart conditions.
51
BHF publications
BHF card
An ‘ID card’ for young people with heart conditions. It can
be used in situations where a young person needs to prove
they have a heart condition and to show what type of heart
condition they have. This can help teachers and physical
activity leaders to have a better understanding of what type
of physical activity the person can and cannot do, although
they will still need to know about the person’s individual
abilities and limitations. The card also gives information
on what to do in the case of an emergency. The card can
only be issued by your child’s cardiac specialist. For more
information see bhf.org.uk/bhfcard
Leaflets for young people with heart conditions
The following leaflets are designed to enable young people
to understand more about their heart condition as they start
to take more responsibility for their own health:
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Aortic stenosis
Coarctation of the aorta
Hypoplastic left heart syndrome
Implantable cardioverter defibrillators
Large ventricular septal defect
Long QT syndrome
Pacemakers
Pulmonary atresia
Pulmonary stenosis
Tetralogy of Fallot
Transposition of the great arteries
Tricuspid atresia.
Understanding your child’s heart
Each booklet in this series explains a congenital heart condition
and the benefits and risks of its treatment. The booklets are
intended for parents of babies and children with congenital
heart conditions, and their family and friends. They give
support and guidance on how to cope with a child’s heart
condition and information on where to go for more support.
The booklets in the series are:
❤❤
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❤❤
❤❤
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Aortic stenosis
Coarctation of the aorta
Double-inlet ventricle
Hypoplastic left heart syndrome
Large ventricular septal defect
Pulmonary atresia
Pulmonary stenosis
Single ventricle circulation
Tetralogy of Fallot
Transposition of the great arteries
Tricuspid atresia.
53
Encouraging your child to be more active
Publications
Get Kids on the Go
BHF National Centre for Physical Activity and Health
This booklet includes tips and tools for encouraging
children to be active.
Pocket Play Pack
BHF National Centre for Physical Activity and Health
A small z-card with lots of activity ideas for children.
For free copies of these resources:
❤ call the BHF Orderline on 0870 600 6566
❤ email [email protected] or
❤ visit bhf.org.uk/publications
Acknowledgements
This booklet was written by:
❤ Lynne Kendall, Clinical Specialist Physiotherapist, Leeds General
Infirmary, and
❤ Jo Quirk, Congenital Nurse Specialist, Leeds General Infirmary.
Our thanks go to the following organisations and people for their
support and professional expertise in helping to produce this booklet.
❤ Children’s Heart Federation
❤ Nick Bromell, University Teacher of Physical Education,
Loughborough University
❤ Dr Kate English, Consultant Adult Congenital Cardiologist,
Leeds General Infirmary
❤ Dr Phil Gates, Exercise Physiologist, Peninsula Medical School,
Exeter University
❤ Dr John Thomson, Consultant Congenital Cardiologist,
Active Places
www.activeplaces.com
A website that allows you to search for sports facilities anywhere
in England.
Leeds General Infirmary.
Edited by Wordworks.
BHF National Centre for Physical Activity and Health (BHFNC)
bhfactive.org.uk
Funded by the British Heart Foundation, the BHFNC develops
resources to support professionals in promoting physical activity.
The BHFNC has also produced a number of resources on physical
activity for parents and carers and for children and young people.
54
55
bhf.org.uk
Heart Helpline
0300 330 3311
bhf.org.uk
Information & support on anything
heart-related. Phone lines open
9am to 5pm Monday to Friday.
Similar cost to 01 or 02 numbers.
© British Heart Foundation 2011, registered charity in England and Wales (225971) and Scotland (SC039426) Print code: G524
2011 is the British Heart Foundation’s 50th birthday.
Since 1961, we have been the nation’s heart charity,
dedicated to saving lives through pioneering
research, patient care, campaigning for change
and by providing vital information. But we
urgently need your help. We rely on your
donations of time and money to
continue our life-saving work.
Because together we can
beat heart disease.
British Heart Foundation
Greater London House
180 Hampstead Road
London NW1 7AW
T 020 7554 0000
F 020 7554 0100