Experts link congenital heart defects to hereditary factors, cousin marriages, and inadequate antenatal care
PESHAWAR:
Heart disease, often associated with old age, is affecting thousands of children in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P), with doctors treating a wide range of congenital and cardiac conditions among the young.
During 2025, the Peshawar Institute of Cardiology (PIC) examined 22,563 children at its outpatient department, while 316 children underwent open-heart surgery and 1,222 had congenital heart defects treated through device closure procedures.
Doctors say congenital heart disease, commonly described by families as “holes in the heart”, is among the cardiac conditions frequently seen in children. Hereditary factors, cousin marriages and inadequate antenatal care are considered important factors associated with these defects.
Dr Ijaz Hussain, a congenital paediatric specialist, told The Express Tribune that children with congenital heart diseases were regularly brought to PIC for treatment.
He said some congenital heart conditions could be hereditary, while inadequate antenatal care could also contribute to complications.
“During the past six months, we have performed around 700 surgeries,” Dr Ijaz said, adding that more than 120 surgeries were being performed every month.
He said treatment was not limited to PIC, as doctors at peripheral hospitals had also been trained to deal with congenital heart cases, helping children receive timely care closer to their homes.
Dr Ijaz said cousin marriages, depression, obesity and other factors were also associated with heart diseases among children and young people.
The concern extends beyond congenital conditions. Dr Mujeebur Rehman Dawar, a cardiac surgeon, said it was particularly worrying that children and young people between the ages of seven and 20 were also being diagnosed with heart diseases.
He said rich and fatty foods, depression, financial difficulties, cousin marriages and other factors could contribute to cardiac problems.
Dr Mujeeb urged people to undergo timely medical check-ups and take preventive measures to maintain heart health.
He said a large number of patients came from mountainous areas such as Dir, Chitral, Waziristan and Kohistan.
According to him, people in these remote areas often do not seek medical attention in time and travel to Peshawar only after their condition has deteriorated.
“Patients often reach us when their condition has already become serious,” he said, stressing the importance of early diagnosis and treatment.
The number of children receiving treatment also formed part of the wider cardiac workload at PIC. During 2025, the institute examined 127,748 cardiac patients through its OPD and performed 2,538 open-heart surgeries.
Of these surgeries, 316 were performed on children. The hospital also carried out 19,583 angiography and angioplasty procedures during the year.
PIC spokesperson Riffat Anjum said 23,101 emergency cardiac patients were treated at the hospital during 2025, while 28,115 patients received free cardiac treatment under the Sehat Card Plus programme.
The institute also performed advanced procedures, including 37 Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation (TAVI) and three MitraClip procedures, offering alternatives to conventional open-heart surgery in selected cases.
Patients from neighbouring Afghanistan also sought treatment at PIC. Around 1,200 Afghan patients received services through the OPD, while more than 200 underwent angiography, angioplasty or cardiac surgery.
Doctors say the figures highlight the importance of recognising cardiac problems in children at an early stage. Congenital defects can sometimes be detected before birth or soon after delivery, while timely treatment can prevent complications later in life.
