Pediatric heart surgery - discharge

If your child is an infant, try not to let them cry for too long for the first 3 to 4 weeks. Help keep them calm by staying calm yourself. When lifting your child, support both their head and bottom for the first 4 to 6 weeks.

Toddlers and older children will often stop any activity if they become tired.

The doctor or nurse will tell you when it is okay for your child to return to school or daycare. Most of the time, this will not be until your child' s follow-up visit with the doctor.

For the first 4 weeks after surgery, your child should not do any activity where there is a chance they could fall or take a blow to the chest. Your child also should avoid bicycle or skateboard riding, roller skating, and all contact sports.

Your child can climb stairs, and swimming is okay after their Steri-Strips have fallen off.

If your child has an incision through the breastbone, you must be careful how they use their arms and upper body for the first 6 to 8 weeks:

• Do not pull or lift them by their arms. Scoop them up instead.
• Your child should not do any activities that involve pulling or pushing their arms.
• Try to keep your child from lifting their arms above their head.
• Your child should not lift anything heavier than 5 pounds.

Keep a close eye on your child' s diet to make sure they get enough calories to heal and grow.

After heart surgery, most babies and infants (younger than 12 to 15 months) can take as much formula or breast milk as they want. Ask your child' s doctor first if this is right for your baby. Sometimes the doctor may want your baby not to drink too much formula or breast milk.

Limit feeding time to around 30 minutes. Your child' s doctor or nurse may tell you how to add extra calories to formula.

Toddlers and older children should be given a regular, healthy diet. The doctor or nurse will tell you about any changes you should make.

Wash all the incisions, once a day with soap and water. Pat them dry. Look at the wound for signs of infection, which are redness, swelling, and drainage.

Your child should take only a shower or a sponge bath. Their Steri-Strips should NOT soak in the water. Steri-Strips will begin to peel off after the first week. It is okay to remove them when they start to peel off.

For as long as the scar looks pink, make sure it is covered with clothing or a bandage when your child is in the sun.