Sweating

Sweating refers to the production of water on the skin to allow for cooling of the body. Classically associated with exercise and overheating, sweating can occasionally be a sign of a significant heart problem in babies and infants.

Many forms of congenital heart defects involve an excessive amount of blood flow through the lungs (pulmonary overcirculation). With excessive blood flow to the lungs, rapid breathing may (tachypnea). During times of activity, for example with feeding, a baby with a congenital heart defect may have to work harder to breathe because of the excessive blood flow and water in the lungs. This extra work may produce sweating. Likewise, sweating may be a sign of an increased metabolic rate. Many infants with pulmonary overcirculation develop an increased metabolic rate as the heart is forced to work much harder than normal. Sweating is often a side effect of this increased metabolic rate.

The most common forms of heart defects associated with sweating in babies and infants include a ventricular septal defect, patent ductus arteriosus, aortic valve stenosis, and coarctation of the aorta. It is rarely seen with cyanotic congenital heart defects such as tetralogy of Fallot, transposition of the great arteries, or tricuspid atresia.