Symptoms of Vascular Rings and Slings
Most babies with vascular rings and slings have symptoms due to pressure on their trachea and esophagus. Some children with vascular rings and slings have no symptoms as babies. They may develop symptoms as they get older.
Pressure on the trachea can cause breathing problems, like these:
- Loud breathing (stridor) or working hard to breathe
- Wheezing or high-pitched cough
- Respiratory infections or repeated pneumonia
Breathing problems may get worse when a baby tries to feed or when an older child eats.
Pressure on the esophagus can cause feeding problems, like these:
Vascular Rings and Slings Diagnosis
To diagnose this condition, your doctor will examine your child and use a stethoscope to listen to their heart.
The doctor will ask for details about any symptoms your child has, their health history and your family health history.
Your child will need tests that provide more information. These may include chest X-rays, a CT (computed tomography) scan or MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) of the heart, echocardiography, angiography, bronchoscopy (threading a camera down the throat to check the airways) and X-ray of the esophagus.