Cardiovascular

Congenital heart disease

Congenital heart disease refers to a form of heart disease that develops before birth (congenital). Congenital heart disease is a broad term and includes a wide range of diseases and conditions. These diseases can affect the formation of the heart muscle or its chambers or valves. They include such conditions as narrowing of a section of the aorta (coarctation) or holes in the heart (atrial or ventricular septal defect). Some congenital heart defects may be apparent at birth, while others may not be detected until later in life.

Common examples of congenital heart diseases are:

* openings in the internal wall of the heart,
*narrowing of the main heart valves (pulmonary valve stenosis),
* failure by a blood channel, used only before the baby is born, to close at the right time (patent ductus arteriosus),
* narrowing of the main artery of the body (actric stenosis),
* blockages in the pathways between the heart and the lungs, and
* abnormal connections between the chambers and vessels of the heart.

Symptoms
Babies and children who are affected by congenital heart disease may show a bluish skin colour. In black children, it is especially prominent around the lips, inside the mouth, on the tongue and under the fingernails.

Babies may breathe very quickly. They will probably get tired easily when breastfeeding and put on weight slowly. Older children may be regularly short of breath, even when resting and take up a squatting position after exercise to recover. They may become dizzy and may even faint.

Children with congenital heart disease often have a heart murmur, which is usually diagnosed by your GP between 6 weeks and 1 year of age, depending on the kind of heart condition. Usually, a heart murmur by itself is harmless.

Treatment
Congenital heart diseases that affects a child's health and lifestyle will usually require surgery, depending on the exact nature of the disease. Most children make a straightforward recovery.

Advances in the surgical treatment of congenital heart disease mean that nowadays most children can be cured. At the very least, treatment can greatly improve quality of life.

In some cases, further surgery will be required in later life. Precautions may also be necessary when taking certain medications, depending on the type of heart defect and the type of surgery carried out.