One out of every 9 infants of 1000 born in India has congenital heart defects (heart malformations present at birth). More than 2,00,000 children are born with heart defects in India annually. These heart defects are the malformations that appear when the baby’s heart is developing in the mother’s womb before the birth. Congenital heart defects are the most prevalent birth defects.
The heart starts to form in a baby during conception. About eight weeks into the pregnancy, it is fully developed. These initial eight weeks of a baby's life are when congenital heart defects occur.
Essential developmental stages that don't happen in the right order or at the right time can result in congenital heart defects. This implies that where two blood vessels ought to be present at birth, the child might only have one. Alternatively, there might be a gap that needs to be closed between the two heart chambers. The best method to ascertain whether a heart defect is present, what kind it is, and how much blood flow has been altered is analyzed through an echocardiogram, or cardiac ultrasound. The care team uses this information to select the most appropriate course of action.
While some problems are more serious than others, they are all related to abnormal blood flow through your heart and beyond. Most children with congenital heart disease (CHD) survive into adulthood as a result of advancements in diagnosis and therapeutics. Understanding your child's congenital heart defect can aid in your comprehension of the condition and prepare you for the upcoming months and years.
What is Congenital Heart Disease?
A congenital heart defect is an issue with the heart's structure that arises at birth. Certain congenital cardiac defects in children can be easily managed. But some congenital heart defects in children are more complicated and may need to be corrected with multiple surgeries which may take several years to get rectified. Early detection of heart defects (before or shortly after birth) is possible. However, in certain cases, a person with CHD is not diagnosed until they grow up as an adolescent or adult.Congenital Heart Defects Types in Children
To better understand the common congenital heart defects in newborns, following are the categories of its various forms:Issues that result in excessive blood flow through the lungs
These flaws increase pressure and stress in the lungs by allowing oxygen-rich blood that ought to be going to the body to circulate back through them. Among them are:
- Patent ductus arteriosus (PDA): A defect known as patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) causes blood to mix between the pulmonary artery and the aorta by shortening out the normal pulmonary vascular system. There is an open channel between the two blood vessels before birth. Premature babies are frequently diagnosed with patent ductus arteriosus.
- Atrial septal defect (ASD): An irregular opening between the right and left atria, the heart's two upper chambers, results in an irregular blood flow through the heart in cases of atrial septal defect (ASD).
- Ventricular septal defect (VSD): This disorder is characterized by a hole in the ventricular septum, which is the wall that separates the heart's two lower chambers, the left and right ventricles. Due to the higher pressure in the left ventricle, blood from the ventricle flows back into the right ventricle as a result of this opening. As a result, the right ventricle pumps in more blood than necessary, which frequently results in lung congestion.
- Atrioventricular canal: Atrioventricular canal, also known as the AV canal, is a complicated heart condition characterized by multiple anomalies in the heart's internal architecture, such as ventricular and/or atrial septal defects, as well as malformed mitral and/or tricuspid valves.
These circumstances enable blood that has not yet reached the lungs to absorb oxygen to reach the body. When the heart has these issues, the body does not get enough oxygen. These types of congenital heart defects can cause cyanotic babies, or blue-looking babies.
Following are such defects:
- Tricuspid atresia: This disorder prevents blood from flowing from the right atrium to the right ventricle because there is no tricuspid valve.
- Pulmonary atresia: This complex form of congenital heart disease (CHD) called pulmonary atresia is characterized by aberrant pulmonary valve development.
- Transposition of the great arteries (TGA): The pulmonary artery and the aorta are positioned in the opposite directions when a person has transposition of the great arteries (TGA).
- Tetralogy of Fallot (TOF): A ventricular septal defect, or abnormal opening, a narrowing (stenosis) at or just beneath the pulmonary valve that partially blocks the flow of blood from the right side of the heart to the lungs, an enlarged and more muscular right ventricle, and an aorta directly over the ventricular septal defect are the four defects that define this condition.
- Double outlet right ventricle (DORV): This type of right ventricle has connections to both the pulmonary artery and the aorta.
- Truncus arteriosus: In this disease, the pulmonary artery and aorta begin as a single blood vessel, but eventually split apart to form two distinct arteries. Truncus arteriosus is the result of the single great vessel failing to split entirely, leaving the pulmonary artery and aorta connected.
- Coarctation of the aorta (CoA): This disorder causes the aorta to narrow or constrict, which prevents blood flow to the lower body and raises blood pressure above the constriction.
- Aortic stenosis (AS): This disorder causes the aortic valve, which connects the left ventricle to the aorta, to narrow and malform. This makes it harder for the heart to pump blood to the body.
- Hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS): A combination of various cardiac and vascular anomalies results in hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS).
Congenital Heart Disease Causes
The majority of congenital heart defects are caused by early alterations in the developing baby's heart prior to birth. While certain risk factors have been identified, the exact cause of the majority of congenital heart defects remains unknown. Among the risk factors for congenital defects are:- Rubella (German measles)
- Diabetes
- Medications
- Medications like thalidomide, angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors, statins, isotretinoin, some epilepsy drugs, and certain anxiety drugs.
- Drinking alcohol during pregnancy
- Smoking
- Family history and genetics
Congenital Heart Defect Signs and Symptoms
- Cyanosis or bluish discoloration of skin, lips or nails
- Excessive sleeping
- Troubled breathing
- Fatigue
- Tiredness or getting out of breath during exercise
- Heart murmur
- Poor blood circulation
- Pounding heartbeat
- Weak pulse
Congenital Heart Disease Treatment
The congenital heart disease management involves following interventions: Medications It includes:- Blood pressure drugs such as angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors, angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs) and beta blockers
- Water pills or diuretics
- Heart rhythm drugs
- Cardiac catheterization
- Heart surgery (open-heart surgery or minimally invasive heart surgery to repair the heart defect)
- Heart transplant (in case of serious heart defect that can't be repaired)
- Fetal cardiac intervention
Conclusion
FAQs
Q1: How congenital heart defects are managed?A: Treatment for severe congenital cardiac defects must begin as soon as the condition is identified. Medication, cardiac surgeries or procedures, or a heart transplant may all be part of the treatment.
Q2: Who is most vulnerable to heart defects at birth?
A: Compared to women without diabetes, women with diabetes are more likely to give birth to a child who has congenital heart disease.
