A f t e r t h e H e a r t Tra n s p l a n t
Can My Child Have a Pet? You can safely have a pet in your home if your family follows a few simple guidelines. • Have your child wash their hands well after handling pets, cleaning cages or litter boxes, or picking up feces (also known as stool or “poo”). • Make sure your pet is regularly seen by a vet and is up-to-date with all vaccinations. • Most animals are safe from a transplant perspective. If you have any questions about a specific species, please talk with your transplant team.
Can My Child Travel? Your child can travel after transplant if they have been well, without medical complications. Please talk with your transplant team before you make any travel plans, especially if traveling abroad. Tips for Safe Travel • Always carry your child’s medications with you—never pack them in your checked-in or stowed luggage in case it gets lost. • Keep medications in their original containers (bottles or pill packages) with the pharmacy labels on them. • Consider buying travel health insurance if you are planning international travel. Check if it covers pre-existing conditions. • Well before your trip, talk with your transplant team and a travel clinic about any vaccines your child needs for traveling abroad. • Ask your transplant center for a letter about your child’s condition and how to contact the transplant team in case your child needs medical attention while away. • Know the location of the nearest hospital at your destination and ask your transplant team if they can recommend doctors in the area.
My Child Still Has Trouble Sleeping. Is This Normal? Many children who have a heart operation have difficulty sleeping and concentrating afterwards and may show signs of hyperactivity. This is also true of transplant children, who have been found to have more schooling and behavioral issues compared to healthy children. Help is available through psychological counseling and/or medication.
My Child Has Started Wetting the Bed at Night. Why Is This? Bed-wetting is common after transplant surgery. It may be due to the trauma of being in hospital, but it can also be caused by urinary infections. Another reason is the heart beats quickly even during sleep. This means, even at night, the kidneys get a lot of blood and so produce more urine. The usual treatments for bedwetting can often be helpful and may include behavioral techniques and/or medications. Your transplant team may ask your family doctor or pediatrician to manage this issue.
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