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Congenital heart disease, or “heart defects,” are the most common type of birth defect and the leading cause of birth defect-related deaths. Both genetics and environmental factors contribute to congenital heart disease.
What Is Congenital Heart Disease?
Congenital heart disease includes many types of heart defects that are present when a baby is born. These defects can consist of abnormalities with your baby’s heart valves, your baby’s heart muscle, or the blood vessels that connect to your baby’s heart. It's common to have a combination of heart defects with congenital heart disease.
Heart defects develop in the early weeks of pregnancy when your baby’s heart is forming. Some defects may be serious or even life threatening at birth. Others may not cause problems until later in childhood or even adulthood.
Common types of heart defects include:
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Atrial septal defect (ASD), a hole in the wall between the upper chambers of your baby’s heart
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Hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS), in which a chamber on the left side of your baby’s heart is too small and certain heart valves are abnormal
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Patent ductus arteriosus (PDA), in which an artery needed before birth fails to close properly after birth
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Tetralogy of Fallot (TOF), which causes multiple defects of your baby’s heart and blood vessels
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Transposition of the great arteries (TGA), in which the two main arteries coming out of your baby’s heart are switched
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Ventricular septal defect (VSD), a hole in the wall between the lower chambers of your baby’s heart
Who Gets Congenital Heart Disease?
There is not usually a clear reason why some babies’ hearts develop normally and others don’t. Health experts know that certain risk factors make it more likely that your baby will be born with congenital heart disease. These include:
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Gene mutations
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Prematurity
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Illnesses, such as rubella (German measles), the flu, and other viral infections, during the first three months of your pregnancy
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Exposure to industrial chemicals or solvents during your pregnancy
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Drug use during your pregnancy, including alcohol, cocaine, the acne medication isotretinoin (Accutane), some antiseizure medications, and the antibiotic trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (Bactrim, Septra)
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Chronic diseases such as diabetes
Heart defects also occur commonly with certain other congenital (and genetic) conditions, such as Down syndrome and Turner syndrome.
How Is Congenital Heart Disease Treated?
Treatment of congenital heart disease depends on your baby’s type and severity of heart defect, age, general health, and other factors. The goal of treatment is to improve heart function and increase the chances of living the longest, healthiest life possible.
Many types of congenital heart disease just need regular monitoring. Others require medications, procedures, or surgery. If your baby needs a catheter procedure or surgery, a congenital cardiac surgeon, pediatric cardiothoracic surgeon, or cardiovascular surgeon will perform them.
In a catheter procedure, the surgeon inserts a small tube into a blood vessel and passes it into your baby’s heart. Surgeons use catheter procedures for relatively simple heart repairs, such as plugging a small hole. For more complex repairs, the surgeon may use open-heart surgery. This is a major surgery in which the surgeon must open your baby’s chest.
A surgeon may perform a procedure or surgery soon after birth or recommend waiting for your baby to grow. Sometimes, heart defects aren’t repaired until later in childhood or adulthood.
What Can I Do to Prevent Congenital Heart Disease?
You can’t always prevent heart defects, but you can take steps to help your baby have a healthy heart. First, see your doctor when you’re planning to get pregnant. This is the best way to start a healthy pregnancy. Your doctor will evaluate you for diseases and chronic conditions. Controlling chronic conditions helps decrease your baby’s risk of heart problems.
Next, follow your doctor’s instructions. This includes taking prenatal vitamins as directed by your doctor. Prenatal vitamins contain necessary amounts of folic acid, which may help prevent heart defects. Ideally, you should start prenatal vitamins before pregnancy. Also, tell your doctor about all your medications, including vitamins, herbal products, supplements, and even over-the-counter drugs that you only take occasionally.
Finally, play it safe and avoid exposure to solvents and chemicals found in paints, varnishes, as well as degreasing and cleaning agents. And stay away from people who are sick with the flu or a fever. Healthy choices before and during pregnancy can increase the chances that your baby’s heart will be perfect.
