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Understanding Congenital Heart Defects: Tips from St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children
For most new parents,
having a baby is a wonderful and life-changing
experience. And while many newborns come in to
the world round, pink, and healthy there are
many who must fight for life from the start.
Undoubtedly, one of the most challenging things
for a parent is having a new baby with a
sickness, or other health problem. Yet about
40,000 babies are born each year with a
congenital cardiovascular defect.
Congenital heart defects
often result from abnormal development of the
heart soon after conception and usually occur
before the mother is even aware she is
pregnant. “These types of defects can range in
severity, from ‘holes’ between chambers of the
heart to very severe malformations, such as
complete absence of one or more chambers, or
valves,” says Marshall Jacobs, chief of
cardiothoracic surgery at St. Christopher’s
Hospital for Children.
“It’s important for parents
to know that anyone can have a child with a
congenital heart defect,” Jacobs said. “In
fact, congenital heart defects are the most
common birth defect and most of the time doctors
don’t even know why the defect occurred.”
There are two major types
of congenital heart defects and each consists of
variations. They are:
- Defects that obstruct blood flow in the heart or vessels near it
- Defects that cause blood to flow through the heart in an abnormal pattern Jacobs added a third rare defect occurs when the right of left side of the heart is incompletely formed, which is called a hypoplastic heart.
The following are a few of the
more common congenital heart defects:
Patent Ductus Arteriosus
(PDA)
Babies born with PDA
experience a mixing of blood between the
pulmonary artery and aorta. Normally the
passageway between these two blood vessels
closes within a few hours of birth, but when
this doesn’t happen the blood that is supposed
to flow through the aorta to the rest of the
body returns to the lungs instead. This type of
defect is common in premature babies but less so
in full-term babies. When necessary, a surgical
procedure or a cath lab procedure may close the
duct and can restore normal blood circulation.
Obstruction Defects
These types of defects,
also called stenoses, occur in heart valves,
arteries or veins and consist of a narrowing
that partly or completely block the flow of
blood. Treatment for stenoses will depend on
severity, but may include surgery to enlarge
valve openings. In many cases, lifelong medical
follow-up is necessary.
Septal Defects
When a baby is born with an
opening between the wall (septum) that separates
the right and left sides of the heart, it is
called a septal defect or “hole in the heart.”
Repairing a septal defect with surgery is
common, although long-term follow up is
required.
Cyanotic Defects
In these types of defects,
blood pumped to the body contains less oxygen
than normal. This causes a blue discoloration
of the skin, which is why babies with cyanosis
are often called “blue babies.” There are
surgical procedures that may be used to help fix
cyanotic defects, but lifelong follow up is
needed.
According to the American
Heart Association, children born with simple
defects may survive into adulthood. “Although
people born with congenital heart defects may
have a limited exercise capacity, many may lead
a normal, or near normal life,” Jacobs said.
“Occasionally, children with congenital heart
disease have developmental delay or other
learning difficulties.”
For more information about
congenital heart defects, visit the American
Heart Association online at
www.americanheart.org.
Courtesy of St.
Christopher’s Hospital for Children
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