Discharge day rarely goes exactly as planned. On day two of life, in the middle of a routine newborn exam, a doctor’s stethoscope lingers over the chest a little longer than expected. “I’m hearing a murmur,” she says. “It’s very likely a small hole in the wall between two chambers of the heart. We call […]

The stethoscope stops moving for a second longer than it did a moment ago. At a six-month well-baby visit, that pause is enough to make a parent’s stomach drop before the doctor even says a word. Then comes the sentence almost every parent hears eventually: “I’m picking up a murmur. It’s probably nothing, but let’s […]

The pickup line at summer camp moves slower than usual today. When it’s finally your turn, the counselor walks your child over herself instead of waving him toward the car. “He sat out the last activity,” she says. “Seemed a little dizzy, wasn’t sweating as much as the other kids. He’s drinking water now and […]

The stack of forms sits on the kitchen counter every August: uniform sizing, emergency contacts, a permission slip for away games. Buried a few pages in is the one that makes a parent pause mid-signature: “Has your child ever fainted or felt dizzy during exercise? Is there a family history of unexplained sudden death before […]

The intake form at a routine check-up has a line most parents fill out on autopilot: “Family history of heart disease?” A pen hovers over the box. The honest answer, for a lot of families, is something closer to “not sure” than a clean yes or no. That evening, a phone call to a parent […]

Chest Pain in Teenagers – When It’s the Heart and When It Isn’t It usually happens mid-practice. A fourteen-year-old presses a hand flat against his sternum, steps out of a drill, and doesn’t say much beyond “my chest hurts.” The coach doesn’t push. By the time the family picks him up, the pain has mostly […]

You’re at the park in Abu Dhabi. The other children are running across the grass, climbing, laughing, barely slowing down. Your child runs for a few minutes… then stops. Hands on knees. “I’m tired.” At first, you brush it off. Maybe they didn’t sleep well. Maybe it’s the heat. Maybe they’re just not as sporty. […]

Your child is running, playing, eating well, and doing everything they should be doing. Then, almost casually, the doctor says, “I’d like to order some heart tests.”Your stomach drops. This reaction is incredibly common among parents in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Al Ain. If your child looks perfectly healthy, why are heart tests even being […]

It’s a normal school morning in Dubai. Your child packs their PE kit, grabs their water bottle, and runs off to class. You don’t think twice about it. Until one day, you get a message. “Your child felt dizzy during PE.”Or, “They complained of chest discomfort while running.” Suddenly, something that felt routine feels serious. […]

You’ve booked the appointment. Maybe it’s after a school referral. Maybe your pediatrician heard a murmur. Maybe your child mentioned chest discomfort during PE. Whatever the reason, now you’re thinking about one thing: How do I explain this without scaring them? At KidsHeart, we see this every day in our Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Al […]