Congenital Heart Defects

A congenital heart defect is a problem with the structure of the heart. It is present at birth. Congenital heart defects are the most common type of major birth defect.

A baby's heart begins to develop shortly after conception. During development, structural defects can occur. These defects can involve the walls of the heart, the valves of the heart and the arteries and veins near the heart. Congenital heart defects can disrupt the normal flow of blood through the heart. The blood flow can

Slow down
Go in the wrong direction or to the wrong place
Be blocked completely

Treatment for the defect can include medicines, surgery and other medical procedures and heart transplants. The treatment depends on the type and severity of the defect and a child's age, size and general health. Today, many children born with complex heart defects grow to adulthood and lead productive lives.

National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute

Congenital Heart Defect on Wikipedia

A '''congenital heart defect''' is a defect in the structure of the heart and great blood vessels of the newborn.

Overview

Congenital heart defects can be broadly categorised into two groups, acyanotic heart defects ('pink' babies) and cyanotic heart defects ('blue' babies). The acyanotic defects may further be divided into obstructive heart defects and shunts.

Epidemiology

Slightly less than 1% of all newborn infants have congenital heart disease. Eight defects are more common than all others and make up 80% of all congenital heart diseases, whereas the remaining 20% consist of many independently infrequent conditions or combinations of several defects. Ventricular septal defect (VSD) is generally considered to be the most common type of malformation, accounting for about

1/3

of all congenital heart defects. The incidence is higher when a parent or a sibling has a heart defect (4-5%), in stillborns (3-4%), abortuses (10-25%), and premature infants (2%).

Aetiology

The cause of most congenital heart disease is unknown. In most cases, it is of a multifactorial origin and is a result of both genetic predisposition and environmental factors. Known genetic causes of heart disease includes chromosomal abnormalities such as trisomy Down syndrome, Patau's syndrome, and Edward's Syndrome, as well as a range of newly recognised genetic point mutation, point deletion and other genetic abnormalities as seen in syndromes such as Chromosome 22, microdeletion 22 q11, familial ASD with heart block, Alagille syndrome, Noonan syndrome, and many more. Known ante-natal environmental factors include maternal infection (Rubella), drug (alcoholic beverage, hydantoin, lithium and thalidomide) and maternal illness (diabetes mellitus, phenylketonuria, and lupus erythematosus|systemic ... [ Read More ]

External Resources

About.com - Information about congenital heart defects, and February 14th being recognized as a day for hearts.

Minimal Invasive Congenital Heart Surgery - An article about treating birth defects of the heart using this techniques.

Palliative Operations - The early staged operations for patients with this congenital heart defect, Tetralogy of Fallot, that lead up to the final correction surgery.

Ventricular Septal Defect - VSD is one of the commonest congenital heart defects, where there's a hole in the wall between the two lower chambers of the heart. An article from About.com with Richard N. Fogoros.

CHD Awareness Day - The Children's Health Information Network has brought global attention to the dreaded problem of Congenital Heart Defects by a co-ordinated effort from parents and families of CHD victims.

Cyanotic Congenital Birth Defects - Information on a wide variety of congenital heart defects, from Mama's Health.

Congenital Heart Disease Treatments - Short and simple explanations of the different procedures used in treating heart birth defects.

CongenitalHeartDefects.com - Information, resources and support for families and individuals dealing with congenital heart defects. Definitions of CHDs and medical terms, extensive list of support groups and hospitals.

Heart Disease Online - A collection of articles on the different kinds of congenital heart defects, including their treatment by surgery, written in simple, non-technical language.

CHDhope - For parents, friends, and relatives of people with congenital heart defects. Hoping to provide support, encouragement and understanding to families going through a very difficult time.

Related Pages on HealthTales.com:

Birth Defects
Congenital hypothyroidism
Neural Tube Defects
Congenital bilateral absence of the vas deferens
Heart Attack
Heart Diseases
Heart Failure
Heart Surgery
Heart Transplantation
Heart Disease in Women