Congenital Heart Defect
Quyen Nguyen
Congenital heart defect
Is an abnormality in your heart's structure that you're born with and is often considered a childhood condition.
It can involve the walls of the heart, the valves of the heart, and the arteries and veins near the heart.
Holes and leaky valves
Causes/ How does a child acquire it
- Problems with genes or chromosomes in the child, such as Down syndrome.
- Taking certain medications or alcohol or drug abuse during pregnancy.
- A viral infection, such as rubella in the mother during the first trimester of pregnancy.
Symptoms and effects
- Disrupt the normal flow of blood through the heart
- Rapid breathing
- Problems with exercise
- Poor blood circulation
- Fatigue - tiredness
- Cyanosis - a bluish tint on the skin, lips, and fingernails
- Heart murmurs - unusual sounds
- Low birth weight
How can the condition be deteced?
Diagnostic test
- Echocardiography - uses sound waves to create a moving picture of the heart
- Electrocardiogram - records the heart's electrical activity
- Chest x-ray
- Cardiac catheterization - put a tube into a vein in the arm to threaded the heart
- Pulse Oximetry - attached sensor to finger or toe to estimate how much oxygen is in the blood.
Treatment
- Medicines
- Catheter procedures
- Surgery
- Heart transplants
Prevented
- Get a rubella (German measles) vaccine- before conceive
- Control chronic medical conditions - discuss the risks and benefits of drugs with doctor.
- Avoid harmful substances - painting, drugs, herbs, and alcohol during pregnancy
- Take a multivitamin with folic acid - reduce birth defects