The word congenital means “present at birth”. Congenital heart defects are problems with the heart’s structure that a child is born with. Different kinds of congenital heart defects include problems with the valves, walls or arteries of the heart. Congenital heart defects are considered a serious condition and many of them require surgeries or long-term treatments.

Serious heart defects usually become evident at birth or within a few months of birth. The common warning signs of congenital heart defects include:

  • Pale grey or bluish skin color
  • Fast breathing
  • Shortness of breath especially during feeding or walking
  • Difficulty in gaining weight
  • Swelling of the ankles, hands, and feet
  • Getting tired easily

Types of Congenital Heart Diseases

Atrial Septal Defect

This condition involves a hole in between the septum or walls between the two upper chambers of the heart. Small atrial defects close on their own during infancy or childhood. For a large hole, surgery is often required. Many babies with this condition show no symptoms during childhood. The symptoms start arriving when they grow older.

Atrioventricular Canal Defect

This is a combination of heart problems. This is caused when there is a hole in the heart and also problems with the valves in regulating the blood flow. This problem is common among children suffering from Down’s syndrome. This condition forces extra blood to flow to the lungs, forcing the heart to overwork and resulting in heart muscle enlargement. This is usually treated by surgery in the first year of birth. If left untreated, this can cause high blood pressure or even a heart attack.

Bicuspid Aortic Valve

Children born with this condition have only two cusps instead of three. Rarely, some kids are also born with one or four cusps. Most children with this condition are not affected until their adulthood. Some even get to know about it only in old age.

Ventricular Septal Defect

When a baby is born with a hole in the heart’s lower chambers or ventricles it is known as Ventricular Septal Defect. Small holes usually do not need surgery but the bigger holes need surgical repairs.

Coarctation of the aorta is a congenital condition. The condition affects the aorta. The defect is most frequently located near a blood vessel called the ductus arteriosus. The mild condition may not be detected until adulthood. The most common symptoms are pale skin, irritability, heavy sweating, difficulty breathing, and difficulty in feeding.

Eisenmenger Syndrome

This congenital heart defect causes blood to circulate unusually in the heart and lungs. In this condition, blood does not flow properly and the blood vessels inside the heart and lungs become narrow and stiff. It increases the pressure in the lungs’ arteries. With early diagnosis and repair, this life-threatening condition can be avoided.

Ebstein anomaly is a rare congenital heart. In this condition, the tricuspid valve is in the wrong position. The valve’s flaps are also of the incorrect shape. This does not allow the valves to work smoothly. Blood may leak back through the valve. This condition has the risk of causing heart enlargement or heart failure.

Hypoplastic left heart syndrome is a complex and rare congenital heart defect. This condition causes the left side of the heart to remain underdeveloped. The left side of the heart is unable to effectively pump blood to the body. The right side has to work harder and pump blood to the lungs and remaining organs. This condition requires medication. Extreme cases require surgery, and sometimes even heart transplants.

Wolff-Parkinson-White (WPW) syndrome

In this condition, an extra electrical pathway between the upper and lower chambers of the heart causes a rapid heartbeat. This congenital condition is rare. The phases of rapid heartbeats are not life-threatening but can lead to more serious diseases. A catheter-based procedure called ablation can permanently cure this disorder.

Tetralogy of Fallot is a combination of four congenital heart defects. These defects affect the heart’s structure. It causes blood with poor oxygen levels to flow out into the rest of the body. Infants and children with this disease usually have blue-tinged skin due to less oxygen in their blood. Early diagnosis followed by surgical intervention allows the patients to live relatively normal lives. They usually need medical care throughout their lives and are prohibited from doing any exercises.