children s health issues
Tetralogy of Fallot
Symptoms of Tetralogy of Fallot
The main symptom is Cyanosis (a bluish discoloration of the skin), which can be mild or severe Infants with tetralogy of Fallot usually have a heart murmur. A heart murmur is a sound created by turbulent blood through narrowed or leaking heart valves or through abnormal heart structures. Some children have life-threatening attacks (hypercyanosis or "tet" spells) during which cyanosis suddenly worsens without obvious cause or in response to activity, such as crying or having a bowel movement. The child becomes very irritable and short of breath and may lose consciousness. The heart murmur often disappears during these spells. 