A student of class 10 died due to heart failure at school in Bandikui in Rajasthan’s Dausa district on Saturday. The deceased identified as Yatendra, 16, reached the school at 7:30 AM on Saturday but collapsed in the corridor just before entering the classroom.

School authorities rushed Yatendra to a nearby hospital where he died during treatment. Circle Inspector Premchand said, “Yatendra, the son of Bhupendra Upadhyay studying in a private school on Panditpura Road, suddenly fell unconscious on Saturday morning. The school staff took him to the Bandikui Government Hospital the doctors declared him dead after 10 minutes of treatment. According to the doctors, Yatendra died due to heart failure.”

Reports say that Yatendra had a hole in his heart since childhood and he was undergoing treatment for the same. Inspector Premchand said, “The deceased’s family refused to conduct a post-mortem. Going by the doctor’s statement and Yatendra's medical history, the police have not filed any case in the matter.”

Father of the deceased, Bhupendra Upadhyay said, “Yatendra turned 16 only on Friday. He even distributed toffees among his schoolmates and cut a cake at home. He also got photographs taken with the family members. But yesterday’s happiness has turned into sorrow today.”

Heart failure occurs when the heart’s ability to pump blood reduces which eventually leads to insufficient oxygen and nutrient delivery to different parts of the body.

This can result from various factors, including coronary artery disease, hypertension or previous heart attacks. When left untreated, it can lead to life-threatening complications, such as pulmonary oedema or organ failure. Congenital heart disease can also be a cause of heart failure in children and teenagers.

Congenital heart disease (CHD) is an issue with your heart’s structure that has been present since birth. These issues prevent the blood from flowing normally and may include a hole in your heart wall, issues with your blood vessels and problems with your heart valves that control blood flow.

A hole in the heart wall, also known as a ventricular septal defect happens when there’s a hole between the lower heart chambers (right and left ventricles). It allows oxygen-rich blood to move back into the lungs instead of being pumped to the rest of the body.

Mayo Clinic says that the condition changes how blood flows through the heart and lungs. Oxygen-rich blood gets pumped back to the lungs instead of out to the body. The oxygen-rich blood mixes with oxygen-poor blood. These changes may increase blood pressure in the lungs and require the heart to work harder to pump blood.

The symptoms of the condition depend on the size of the hole and also if there are any other heart problems. Usually, a small VSD doesn’t cause any symptoms. Some of the symptoms of VSD in children are:

• Poor eating
• Slow or no physical growth
• Fast breathing or breathlessness
• Easy tiring
• Whooshing sound when listening to the heart with a stethoscope

Symptoms of VSD in adults are:

Shortness of breath, especially when exercising

Whooshing sound when listening to the heart with a stethoscope.