The National Institute of Health says congenital heart disease (CHD) is an umbrella term used to describe several different problems affecting the heart. The American Heart Association says each year there are about 35,000 babies born with some type of congenital heart defect. CHD is frequently divided into cyanotic (blue discoloration caused by a relative lack of oxygen) and non-cyanotic.
Causes of CHD
The NIH says while several factors appear to be involved in the development of most congenital heart defects, the exact cause is unclear.
Prenatal issues that may increase the risk of CHD include diabetes, rubella or other viral illnesses and deficient prenatal nutrition.
Pregnant women over age 40 are more likely to have a baby born with the disease. Hereditary may also play a role in CHD.
Cyanotic Defects
In congenital cyanotic heart defects, blood pumped to the body contains insufficient levels of oxygen. This creates a condition known as cyanosis, which is a blue discoloration of the skin. That's why the phrase "blue babies" is sometimes used when referring to infants with cyanosis.
Three of the more common cyanotic defects are tetralogy of fallot, transposition of the great arteries (vessels) and total anomalous pulmonary venous return.
Tetralogy of Fallot
Tetralogy of fallot causes low oxygen levels in the blood, which leads to cyanosis. Some newborns with severe tetralogy of fallot may undergo surgery to provide temporary relief by increasing blood flow to the lungs by redirecting the circulation of blood. This lessens the cyanosis and gives the time child to grow and develop, at which time the problem can be permanently remedied.
Transportation of the Great Vessels and Total Anomalous Pulmonary Venous
Transposition of the great vessels is a congenital cyanotic heart defect in which the two major vessels (the aorta and the pulmonary artery) are reversed. Babies born with this condition will die unless they have a procedure that will provide one or more connections that will allow oxygen-rich blood to reach the body.
Total anomalous pulmonary venous return is diagnosed when none of the four veins that transport blood from the lungs to the heart is attached to the left upper chamber of the heart. This congenital defect needs to be surgically corrected soon after birth.
Treatment
The NIH says the mortality rate from congenital heart disease surgery has declined from approximately 30 percent in the 1970s to less than 5 percent today.
In some cases CHD doesn't require surgery and can be treated solely with medications.
However, the majority of congenital heart diseases require both surgery and medications to heal the defect.
