Childen's Hospital Boston
International Visitorsdotted lineRequest Appointmentdotted lineDirections
 advanced search
About Us Find a Specialist Locations Careers Press Room Giving To
Clinical Services For Patients & Families For Health Professionals Research
My Child Has
or find by letter:  A-F  G-L  M-R  S-Z

My Child Has...
X
Home Heart and Blood Vessels
FlowerHeart and Blood Vessels
About the heart:
Image
click here to enlarge
The heart is the hardest working muscle in the human body. Located almost in the center of the chest, the heart of a child is about the size of his/her fist. During an average lifetime, the human heart will beat more than three billion times - pumping an amount of blood that equals about one million barrels. The heart is always working, 24 hours a day, seven days a week - even while we are sleeping.

A child's heart works just as hard as an adult's heart. In fact, a baby's heart may beat up to 190 times a minute, while an adult's heart usually beats between 60 and 100 times a minute. The rate at which the heart pumps gradually slows down from birth to adolescence.

Composed of the heart and blood vessels, the cardiovascular system is responsible for circulating blood throughout the body. A healthy cardiovascular system is vital to supplying the body with oxygen and nutrients.
How the heart works:
Image
click to enlarge
The heart is a large, hollow, muscular organ that pumps blood filled with oxygen and nutrients through the blood vessels to the body tissues. It is made up of:
  • Four chambers (two atria and two ventricles) that receive blood from the body and pump out blood to it:
    • The right and left atria receive blood coming back to the heart.
    • The right and left ventricles pump the blood out of the heart.

  • Four valves to prevent backward flow of blood. Each valve has flaps, called leaflets, that allow the forward flow of blood and prevent the backward flow:
    • aortic
    • pulmonary
    • mitral
    • tricuspid valves.

  • Blood vessels that bring blood to the lungs, where oxygen enters the bloodstream, and then to the body:
    • The inferior and superior vena cavae bring oxygen-poor (blue) blood from the body into the right atrium.
    • The pulmonary artery channels oxygen-poor (blue) blood from the right ventricle into the lungs, where oxygen enters the bloodstream.
    • The pulmonary veins bring oxygen-rich (red) blood to the left atrium
    • The aorta channels oxygen-rich (red) blood to the body.
    • An electrical system controls how fast the heart beats.

  • A network of arteries and veins also carry blood throughout the body.
    • Arteries transport blood from the heart to the body tissues.
    • Veins carry blood back to the heart.
Contact Children's Hospital Boston Cardiovascular Program physicians for a second opinion.
X
Programs that treat this condition:
Adult Congenital Heart Service
Cardiac Surgery Program
Cardiomyopathy Program
see entire list
Email this page
Printer Friendly
 X
Children's Hospital Boston is the primary pediatric teaching hospital of Harvard Medical School
Contact Us Site Map Privacy Accessibility Give Now en Español
Children's Hospital Boston300 Longwood AvenueBoston, MA 02115(617) 355-6000 © 2005-2009 All rights reserved