Congenital heart disease is a general term for a range of birth defects that affect the normal workings of the heart. The term congenital means the condition is present at birth.

Why it happens?

In most cases, no obvious cause of congenital heart disease is identified. However, there are some things known to increase the risk of the condition, including:

Down’s syndrome – a genetic disorder that affects a baby’s normal physical development and causes learning difficulties
He mother having certain infections, such as rubella, during pregnancy
The mother having poorly controlled type 1 diabetes or type 2 diabetes

Types of congenital heart disease

There are many types of congenital heart disease. Some of the more common defects include:

Septal defects
Coarctation of the aorta
Pulmonary valve stenosis
Transposition of the great arteries

Treating congenital heart disease

The treatment for congenital heart disease usually depends on the defect you or your child has.
Modern surgical techniques can often restore most or all of the heart’s normal function, and nowadays about 80% of children with congenital heart disease will survive into adulthood.
Symptoms of congenital heart disease

Congenital heart disease can have a range of symptoms, as the condition refers to several different types of heart defect.

General symptoms of congenital heart disease can include:

excessive sweating
extreme tiredness and fatigue
poor feeding
rapid heartbeat
rapid breathing
shortness of breath
Chest pain
Ablue tinge to the skin (cyanosis)

In more severe cases, these problems may develop shortly after birth. However, symptoms sometimes don’t develop until the teenage or early adulthood.

Complications

Children and adults with congenital heart disease can also develop a range of further problems, such as:

problems with growth and development
repeated respiratory tract infections (RTIs)
heart infection (endocarditis)
pulmonary hypertension
heart failure

Treatment
Aortic valve stenosis

If treatment is required, a procedure called a balloon valvuloplasty is often the recommended treatment option.

During this procedure a small tube (catheter) is passed through the blood vessels to the site of the narrowed valve. A balloon attached to the catheter is inflated, which helps widen the valve and relieve any blockage in blood flow.

If balloon valvuloplasty is ineffective or unsuitable, it is usually necessary to remove and replace the valve using open heart surgery.

Coarctation of the aorta

In less serious form of coarctation of the aorta in later life, the main goal of treatment will be to control their high blood pressure. This will usually involve using a combination of diet, exercise and, in some cases, medication.

In more serious form of coarctation of the aorta that develops shortly after birth, surgery to restore the flow of blood through the aorta is usually recommended.

Ebstein’s anomaly

If Ebstein’s anomaly is mild, it does not require treatment. If the valve is very leaky, surgery to repair the abnormal tricuspid valve is usually recommended.

Patent ductus arteriosus

Many cases of patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) can be treated with medication shortly after birth.If PDA does not close with medication, the duct may be sealed with a coil or plug, which is implanted using a catheter.

Pulmonary valve stenosis

Mild pulmonary valve stenosis does not require treatment as it does not cause any symptoms or problems.More severe cases of pulmonary valve stenosis usually require treatment

As with aortic valve stenosis, the main treatment for pulmonary valve stenosis is a balloon pulmonary valvuloplasty. However, if this is ineffective or the valve is not suitable for this treatment, surgery may be needed to open the valve (valvotomy).