Delayed Diagnosis of Heart Failure in Child Highlights Impact of Normalcy Bias

Sioux Falls, SD, October 13, 2026 — A parent in the United States has described the prolonged period it took to recognize and diagnose their daughter Karuna’s heart failure, a situation they attribute in part to normalcy bias. The condition was ultimately identified at Boston Children’s Hospital following a period of declining health and symptoms that were not immediately indicative of serious cardiac issues.

The parent recounted that the initial signs of illness were subtle and progressed gradually, leading to a delayed perception of their severity. This tendency to expect things to remain relatively unchanged, known as normalcy bias, may have contributed to the family’s initial underestimation of the daughter’s deteriorating health.

As Karuna’s condition continued to worsen, the ambiguous nature of her symptoms made it challenging to pinpoint a specific cause. The lack of clear, alarming indicators meant that the severity of her underlying heart failure was not recognized promptly.

Eventually, seeking advanced medical evaluation, the family turned to Boston Children’s Hospital. It was there that Karuna’s heart failure was formally diagnosed. The hospital’s diagnostic capabilities allowed medical professionals to identify the critical cardiac condition that had been developing.

The narrative shared by the parent serves as an account of a personal experience with a serious medical condition and the potential impact of cognitive biases on health awareness and timely medical intervention. The specific timeline of the daughter’s declining health and the precise nature of her ambiguous symptoms prior to diagnosis were not detailed.

Story summarized from the original created by Raj Panjabi on time.com, see more information here.

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