CONGENITAL HEART DEFECTS

DESCRIPTION

• Congenital heart defects (CHDs) are the most common type of birth defect, and there are 15 different types
• CHDs are present at birth and can affect the structure of the baby's heart and the way it works.
• They can affect how blood flows through the heart and out to the rest of the body.
• They can vary from mild, such as a small hole in the heart, to severe, such as missing or poorly formed parts of the heart
• 1 in 4 babies born with a heart defect has a critical CHD aka critical congenital heart disease. Babies with a critical CHD need surgert or other procedures in the first year of life

CAUSES

• The causes of CHDs among most babies are unknown.
• Some babies have heart defects because of changes in their genes or chromosomes
• They are also thought to be caused by a combination of genes and other factors, such as things in the environment, the mother's diet, the mother's health condition and the mother's use of medications during pregnancy.
• A mother's preexisting diabetes or obesity can contribute
• A mother smoking throughout pregnancy has been linked to heart defects

SYMPTOMS

• Symptoms depend on the type of CHD, some have no symptoms, but others include these:
• Blue-tinted nails or lips
• Fast or troubled breathing
• Tiredness when feeding
• Sleepiness

DETECTION

• Some CHDs may be diagnosed during pregnancy using a special ultrasound called a fetal echocardiogram
• An echocardiogram takes pictures specifically of the developing heart.
• However, some CHDs are not detected until birth or later in life, during childhood or adulthood.
• If a CHD is suspected, a baby can get several tests done to confirm.

TREATMENT

• Treatment depends on the type and severity of the defect present.
• Some children might need one or more surgeries to repair the heart and blood vessels.
• Some can be treated without surgery using cardiac catheterization.
• A catheter is threaded through the blood vessels into the heart, where a doctor can take measurements and pictures, do tests, or repair the problem.
• Sometimes the heart defect can't be fully treated, but these procedures improve blood flow and help the heart work correctly.

SOURCES

• http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/heartdefects/facts.html
• http://www.medicinenet.com/birth_defects/article.htm