Congenital Heart Disease
(CHD)

• What is congenital heart disease (CHD)?
• How common is congenital heart disease?
• When is the diagnosis of congenital heart disease (CHD) usually made?
• Why are most cases of CHD not a problem before birth?
• What causes congenital heart defects?
• What are the symptoms and signs of CHD?
• What are the types of congenital heart disease?
• Which congenital heart defects are most frequent?
• How is CHD treated?
• What is the risk for a child to have CHD? (genetic counseling)
• Congenital Heart Disease At A Glance

What is congenital heart disease (CHD)?

Congenital heart disease (CHD) is malformation of the heart or the large blood vessels near the heart. "Congenital" speaks only to time, not to causation. It means "born with" or "present at birth."

Alternative names for CHD include: congenital heart defect, congenital heart malformation, congenital cardiovascular disease, congenital cardiovascular defect, and congenital cardiovascular malformation.

How common is congenital heart disease?

Congenital heart disease is the most frequent form of major birth defects in newborns affecting close to 1% of newborn babies (8 per 1,000). This figure is an underestimate since it does not include some common problems, namely:

• Patent ductus arteriosus in preterm babies (a temporary condition)
• Bicuspid (two cusps) aortic valve (the aortic valve usually has three cusps or flaps)
• Mitral valve prolapse (drooping of a heart valve)
• Peripheral pulmonary stenosis (narrowing of the lung vessels well away from the heart)

From the Doctors at MedicineNet.com

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