The term “heart failure” describes a heart that’s not functioning properly. However, sometimes the heart of a child may not function normally. Watch an animation of blood flow in the heart.įor a child to grow and develop, the heart needs to maintain normal pump function, to provide optimal blood flow throughout the body. The pumping function of the heart is controlled by an internal electrical system, much like a battery and internal wires. The heart muscle receives oxygen-rich blood from special blood vessels called the coronary arteries. In this way, there is no mixing of the oxygen-rich and oxygen-poor blood. As the body removes oxygen, the now oxygen-poor blood returns to the right side of the heart and the cycle continues.Ī wall, called a septum, separates the two sides of the heart. It’s then pumped into the aorta, which distributes it throughout the body to provide oxygen and nutrients for growth and normal body functions. This oxygen-rich blood leaves the lungs and enters the left side of the heart. The right side of the heart receives the oxygen-poor blood from the body and pumps it to the lungs where oxygen is added. These valves prevent the backward flow of blood inside the heart. The upper section, called an atrium, receives blood from the body and pumps it through a one-way valve into the lower section, called a ventricle. It’s divided into a right and left side, each with an upper and lower section. National Hypertension Control InitiativeĪ small percentage of newborns has a structural heart problem.Pets and Your Health / Healthy Bond for Life.

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