More Than Just A Pumping Heart

Successful cardiac surgeries now save children’s lives, but one doctor has set her sights on more than just survival. Dr. Barbara Cifra is heading the Exercise Medicine program at SickKids, and the goal is to allow children with heart disease to lead a healthy lifestyle that includes exercise — so they can thrive well into adulthood

- Donna Paris

If you have a child with a heart condition, it’s scary — for the child and for the parent. So you try to protect them the best you can, thinking exercise isn’t a good idea as it could be too taxing on the heart. But Dr. Barbara Cifra, a staff physician at SickKids, is turning that idea on its head. “I truly believe that life is something more than a pumping heart,” she says. “It’s about empowering these kids to live at their maximum capacity and make these years more valuable.”

Each year in Canada, one out of every 100 babies born has a heart defect, and it’s estimated that about 91,000 children and 170,000 adults are living with congenital heart disease (CHD). Dr. Cifra points out that in North America children with congenital or acquired heart disease are more likely to be overweight because of physical inactivity compared with children without heart disease. On the other hand, some kids might underestimate the consequences of their condition and engage in unsafe sporting practices. “Add to this a lack of counselling and, unfortunately, only a small percentage of children with heart conditions and their families receive formal physical activity recommendations,” says Dr. Cifra.