Which combination of signs is commonly associated with heart failure in infants?

• A. Poor feeding.
• B. Poor feeding, poor weight gain, tachycardia, tachypnea, and hepatomegaly.
• C. Fever and rash.
• D. Cough with clear lungs.

Answer: (B)

In infants, heart failure tends to show up as signs of systemic congestion and fatigue rather than standalone respiratory complaints. The best answer reflects this pattern: poor feeding and poor weight gain signal that the baby isn’t getting enough energy and is tiring easily during feeds. Tachycardia is a common compensatory response as the heart tries to maintain output. Tachypnea indicates pulmonary congestion from the failing heart, and hepatomegaly results from venous congestion in the liver. Together, these signs point to cardiac origin of the symptoms.

Fever and rash point toward infection, not heart failure. Cough with clear lungs could occur with various conditions, but it lacks the constellation of feeding difficulty, growth issues, and organ congestion that characterizes pediatric heart failure.