Resources

Heart Kids recommends a number of different website that have some great information and resources for people wishing to know more about the various heart conditions.

It is important to understand if you child still requires to be given antibiotics before dental treatment. In 2008, new guidelines on the use of prophylaxis antibiotics for the prevention of bacterial endocarditis were published in New Zealand. Here is a brief summary of the main points.

This resource helps explain the functions of the Heart.

Rheumatic Fever (RF) is an inflammatory disease that can develop from an untreated bacterial throat infection commonly known as strep throat (streptococcal pharyngitis).

It takes from 1-5 weeks after the strep symptoms have gone for Acute RF to appear, usually in children between the ages of 5 and 15. Symptoms can include high fever, carditis (inflammation of the heart or its linings) and can persist for months.

They may reoccur at a later time if the strep throat reoccurs. The most potentially serious affect of Acute RF is the progressive damage it can cause to the heart, especially to the heart valves - known as Rheumatic Heart Disease (RHD).