Congenital Heart Disease
(CHD)
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)
Next: When is the diagnosis of congenital heart disease (CHD) usually
made? »
 |
 |
From the Doctors at MedicineNet.com  |
 |
 |
- Electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG) - Read about the Electrocardiogram (ECG, EKG) procedure to test the electrical activity of the heart. Source:MedicineNet
- Questions To Ask Before Surgery - Surgery questions to ask prior to having a procedure are important. Your surgeon should be available to answer your surgery questions prior to the procedure. Source:MedicineNet
- Chest X-ray - A chest x-ray is a radiology test that involves exposing the chest briefly to radiation to produce an image of the chest and the internal organs of the chest. chest x-ray can be used to define abnormalities of the lungs such as excessive fluid, pneumonia, bronchitis, asthma, cysts, and cancers. Source:MedicineNet
- Read 54 more Congenital Heart Disease related articles ...
|
| |
 |
Last Editorial Review: 4/22/2002