Facts about Congenital Heart Defects

Congenital heart defects (CHDs) are the most common type of birth defect. As medical care and treatment have advanced, babies with a CHD are living longer and healthier lives. Learn more facts about CHDs below.

What are Congenital Heart Defects (CHDs)?

CHDs are present at birth and can affect the structure of a baby’s heart and the way it works. They can affect how blood flows through the heart and out to the rest of the body. CHDs can vary from mild (such as a small hole in the heart) to severe (such as missing or poorly formed parts of the heart).
About 1 in 4 babies born with a heart defect has a critical CHD (also known as critical congenital heart disease).¹ Babies with a critical CHD need surgery or other procedures in the first year of life.

Types

Listed below are examples of different types of CHDs.

• Atrial Septal Defect
• Atrioventricular Septal Defect
• Coarctation of the Aorta
• Double-outlet right ventricle
• d-Transposition of the great arteries
• Ebstein anomaly
• Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome
• Interrupted aortic arch
• Pulmonary atresia
• Single ventricle
• Tetralogy of Fallot
• Total Anomalous Pulmonary Venous Return
• Tricuspid atresia
• Truncus Arteriosus
• Ventricular Septal Defect

Signs and Symptoms

Signs and symptoms for CHDs depend on the type and severity of the particular defect. Some defects might have few or no signs or symptoms. Others might cause a baby to have the following symptoms:

• Blue-tinted nails or lips
• Fast or troubled breathing
• Tiredness when feeding
• Sleepiness
• DIAGNOSIS 
• Some CHDs may be diagnosed during pregnancy using a special type of ultrasound called a fetal echocardiogram, which creates ultrasound pictures of the heart of the developing baby. However, some CHDs are not detected until after birth or later in life, during childhood or adulthood. If a healthcare provider suspects a CHD may be present, the baby can get several tests (such as an echocardiogram) to confirm the diagnosis
• source :CDC