The problem of congenital heart disease is not uncommon and innumerable children are born with such defects. It has been reported that almost 1% of childbirths in US are suffering from CHD (30). The alarming fact is that the numbers of children being born with mild CHD are increasing. Ventricular septal defect (VSD) is the most common kind of CHD seen in children. Approximately 25% of babies suffering from CHD have severe or critical CHD defects (31). These kids often need surgery or other critical procedures to get rid of the problem in the very first year of their life.
Different types of congenital heart diseases
There are three main categories in which congenital heart diseases can be divided:
- Heart wall defects – There might be development problems in the natural walls, which are present in the right and left side of the lower and upper chambers of the heart. The blood as a result backs to the heart or cause build up in unwanted places. Immense pressure is exerted on the heart for working harder, leading to high blood pressure.
- Heart valve defects – In this kind of defect, there might be leakage in the valve or the valves might close hampering flow of blood in the right direction. The heart is unable to pump blood in the right manner as a result.
- Blood vessel defects – In these defects, the arteries and veins which connect the heart and carry blood to and from various organs might have defects and not be able to function properly. Blood flow can be reduced or blocked completely causing various complications.
Symptoms of congenital heart diseases
During pregnancy ultrasound, congenital heart disease can be detected. The doctor might be able to hear abnormal heartbeat and order further tests and investigations to be sure of the issue.
In some cases, the newborn baby might have slight symptoms post birth. Some of these include:
- Troubled breathing or breathlessness
- Chest pain
- Low birth weight
- Bluish skin, lips, toes, fingers
- Difficulty in feeding
- Delayed growth and development
In many kids, no symptoms of CHD are seen after birth. However, they might start showing quite later and the child might then be diagnosed with CHD. Some of these symptoms are:
- Troubled breathing
- Abnormal heart rhythms
- Fainting
- Dizziness
- Fatigue
- Swelling
Treatments for congenital heart disease
There are different kinds of treatment options available for congenital heart disease. However, it will depend upon the severity and type of the disease as what kind of treatment will be needed by the patient. Some treatment modes include:
- Medications – Different kinds of medications are prescribed, which actually helps the heart in working more efficiently. There are also medications which prevent blood clotting and also take care of irregular heartbeats.
- Catheter procedures – Certain kinds of congenital heart defects can be repaired with the help of catheterization techniques. The best thing about the procedure is that there is no need to open the chest and the heart. A thin tube is inserted into a vein in the leg, which is guided in a manner that it moves up to the heart. When the catheter is in the right position, small tools are threaded via the catheter for correcting the congenital defect.
- Implantable heart devices – In many cases of congenital heart diseases, defects can be dealt with the help of implantable heart devices. These comprise of implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs) and pacemakers. Abnormal heart rate can be regulated with the help of a pacemaker, while life-threatening irregular heartbeats can be corrected with the help of ICDs.
- Open heart surgery – When catheter procedures fail to repair a congenital heart ailment, there is no other alternative left than choosing open heart surgery. With this surgery, the cardiac surgeon will be able to repair valves, widen the blood vessels and close holes in the heart successfully.
- Heart transplant – There are extremely complex cases of congenital heart ailments and no treatment plan works in such cases. When nothing works, heart transplant is the only way out. A healthy heart from a donor is used for replacing the defective heart in the process of a heart transplant.
Getting treatment for such problems is recommended at the earliest.