This content does not have an English version. This content does not have an Arabic version. Overview If your child has a congenital heart defect, it means that your child was born with a problem in the structure of his or her heart. Request an Appointment at Mayo Clinic. Chambers and valves of the heart Open pop-up dialog box Close. Chambers and valves of the heart A typical heart has two upper and two lower chambers.
Share on: Facebook Twitter. Show references Congenital heart defects CHD. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Accessed Feb. Congenital heart defects. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.
Bonow RO, et al. Pericardial diseases. Elsevier; Accessed March 24, Overview of congenital cardiovascular anomalies. Merck Manual Professional Version. Accessed March 21, Tsintoni A, et al. Nutrition of neonates with congenital heart disease: Existing evidence, conflicts and concerns. Hypoplastic left heart syndrome: An overview for primary care providers. Pediatrics in Review. Donofrio MT, et al. Diagnosis and treatment of fetal cardiac disease: A scientific statement from the American Heart Association.
Riggin EA. Allscripts EPSi. Mayo Clinic. March 25, Tinker SC, et al. Use of benzodiazepine medications during pregnancy and potential risk for birth defects, National Birth Defects Prevention Study, They let blood flow forward into the pulmonary artery.
But they don't let it flow backward into the right ventricle. With pulmonary atresia, problems with valve development stop the leaflets from opening. So blood can't flow forward from the right ventricle to the lungs.
Transposition of the great arteries. The positions of the pulmonary artery and the aorta are reversed. In this defect:.
The aorta starts from the right ventricle. So most of the oxygen-poor blood returning to the heart from the body is pumped back out without first going to the lungs. The pulmonary artery starts from the left ventricle.
So most of the oxygen-rich blood returning from the lungs goes back to the lungs again. Tetralogy of Fallot. This condition is marked by these 4 defects:. A ventricular septal defect. This lets blood pass from the right ventricle to the left ventricle without going through the lungs. A narrowing stenosis at, or just under, the pulmonary valve.
This partly blocks blood flow from the right ventricle to the lungs. Thickening or enlargement of the right ventricle. The aorta lies right over the ventricular septal defect called an overriding aorta.
Tetralogy of Fallot can cause a blue color of the skin and mucous membranes due to lack of oxygen cyanosis. Double outlet right ventricle DORV.
Normally, the aorta connects to the left ventricle. With this complex condition, both the aorta and the pulmonary artery are connected to the right ventricle. This causes oxygen-poor blood to circulate in the body. Truncus arteriosus. During a baby's normal development, the aorta and pulmonary artery start as 1 blood vessel.
Then the vessel divides into 2 separate arteries. Truncus arteriosus occurs when the single large vessel doesn't fully separate. This leaves a large connection between the aorta and the pulmonary artery.
Some of the problems that cause too little blood to travel to the body include:. Coarctation of the aorta CoA. In this condition, the aorta is narrowed or constricted. This blocks blood flow to the lower part of the body.
And it increases blood pressure above the constriction. Often there are no symptoms at birth. But symptoms can occur as early as the first week of life. If there are severe symptoms of high blood pressure and congestive heart failure, surgery will be needed.
Aortic stenosis AS. In AS, the aortic valve between the left ventricle and the aorta did not form correctly and is narrowed. This makes it hard for the heart to pump blood to the body. A normal aortic valve has 3 leaflets cusps.
But a stenotic valve may have only 1 cusp unicuspid or 2 cusps bicuspid. Aortic stenosis may not cause symptoms. But it may get worse over time. Surgery or a catheterization procedure may be needed to fix the blockage. Or the valve may need to be replaced with a manmade one. A complex combination of heart defects known as hypoplastic left heart syndrome can also occur. Hypoplastic left heart syndrome HLHS.
A combination of several abnormalities of the heart and the great blood vessels. In HLHS, most of the structures on the left side of the heart including the left ventricle, mitral valve, aorta, and aortic valve are small and underdeveloped. How underdeveloped they are will be different for each child. The left ventricle may not be able to pump enough blood to the body. HLHS is fatal without treatment. Babies with congenital heart problems are cared for by specialists called pediatric cardiologists.
These healthcare providers diagnose heart defects. And they help manage a child's health before and after surgery to fix the heart problem. Specialists who fix heart problems in the operating room are pediatric cardiovascular or cardiothoracic surgeons.
Today, people with congenital heart disease CHD are living longer. This improved survival rate is due to major advances in tests, treatments, and surgical methods.
Then he can use a tiny balloon to expand the valve. Or he may put in a stent to keep a blood vessel open. But most babies with PA need surgery soon after birth to widen or replace the pulmonary valve. Single ventricle defects.
Single ventricle defects include:. Tetralogy of Fallot also called TOF. Babies with TOF need heart surgery soon after birth to improve blood flow to the lungs and the rest of the body. Babies with this condition need surgery so that blood can flow better through the heart.
Truncus arteriosus also called common truncus. Babies with this condition have only one artery that leaves the heart instead of two arteries. They also have only one valve that controls the blood that leaves the heart instead of two valves. So too much blood goes to the lungs, and the heart has to work harder to pump blood to the rest of the body. Babies with this condition need surgery to repair the heart and blood vessels. Some babies may need medicines to make the heart muscle stronger, lower their blood pressure or help the body get rid of extra fluid.
As they grow older, most babies with critical CHDs need regular checkups with a pediatric cardiologist to check the heart and look for any other health problems. Patent ductus arteriosus also called PDA.
This condition happens in the connection called the ductus arteriosus between two major blood vessels leading from the heart: the pulmonary artery and the aorta. The ductus arteriosus is open when a baby is in the womb.
This can weaken the heart muscle and lead to heart failure. Sometimes a PDA may close on its own. But some babies need medicine, procedures with catheters or heart surgery. Septal defects. These conditions leave a hole in the septum. This can cause blood to go in the wrong direction or to the wrong place, or it can cause extra blood to be pumped to the lungs. Types of septal defects include:.
Some small septal defects close on their own. Heart surgery or procedures with catheters can fix larger septal defects. Babies with AVSD usually need heart surgery. Some babies have heart defects because of changes in their chromosomes or genes. Chromosomes are the structures that hold genes.
Genes are passed from parents to children. Certain gene changes also called mutations are linked to heart defects. At least 15 in 15 percent of CHDs are linked to genetic or chromosomal conditions. For example, about half of babies with Down syndrome have heart defects. If you, your partner or one of your other children has a congenital heart defect, your next baby may be more likely to have one, too.
So you may want to meet with a genetic counselor. Tell your provider about any medicine you take before you try to get pregnant. This includes prescription medicines , over-the counter medicine, herbal products and supplements. But some medicines may be critical to your own health, even if they may affect your baby. You and your provider can weigh the benefits and risks of medicine you take to give you the healthiest possible pregnancy. Starting, stopping or changing medicines may cause serious health problems for you or your baby.
Some things in your life and environment where and how you live may increase your chances of having a baby with a CHD.
These include:. Less severe heart defects may not be found until children are older. You can have this test at about 18 to 24 weeks of pregnancy. Your baby is tested for critical CHDs as part of newborn screening before she leaves the hospital after birth.
Newborn screening checks for serious but rare and mostly treatable conditions. It includes blood, hearing and heart screening. All states require newborn screening, and all states except California require screening for critical CHDs. California requires that providers offer screening for critical CHDs. Babies are screened for critical CHDs with a simple test called pulse oximetry also called pulse ox.
Low levels of oxygen can be a sign of a heart defect. The test is painless and only takes a few minutes. Pulse oximetry can find many but not all critical CHDs. If tests find that your baby has a critical CHD, she can get early care and treatment to prevent more serious health problems. This is a doctor who treats babies and children with heart conditions. If your baby has any of these signs, call his provider right away. Get expert tips and resources from March of Dimes and CDC to increase your chance of having a healthy, fully-term pregnancy and baby.
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