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What are congenital heart diseases?
Congenital means right from birth. Sometimes children are born with abnormalities in the heart structure and/or issues in the way the heart functions. Such issues in the cardiac muscle from birth itself are put under an umbrella category of congenital heart disease.
According to a study conducted by the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, 9 in every 1000 children born every year in India have some congenital heart disease.Congenital heart defects can be of many kinds and are divided into two major categories:
Cyanotic heart disorders
Cyanotic heart disorder is an umbrella term used to refer to all those heart-related issues in which blood is somehow not enriched with oxygen. This may lead to the newborn child having a bluish skin color, breathlessness, and fainting are other symptoms of a cyanotic heart disorder. This happens because the blood reaching the brain and other vital organs of the baby has low oxygen levels.
Acyanotic heart disorders
In a few cases, lips, toes, and skin in other body parts turn pale and bluish despite the blood containing adequate levels of oxygen. This is because the heart is unable to pump oxygenated blood. Such cases are not those of cyanosis, but it is a cyanotic disorder. The human heart is unable to pump blood adequately due to one or more of the following reasons:
- Defect in the heart valve
- Arotic issue
- An issue in the pulmonary artery
- Hole in the heart
A hole in the heart is the most common type of heart defect seen right after birth. In a ventricular septal defect, the wall between two ventricles of the heart has not fully developed when the child is in the mother’s womb creating a gap.
If I have a congenital heart defect, will my child have it too?
No, it is not necessary that if you were born with an abnormality of the heart, the same would happen to your child. Though this being said, as an expecting parent, you must not forget that your child stands at a higher risk of being born with an abnormality in the circulatory system. You can find out more about the risk level and ways to minimize it by visiting a genetic counselor.
Can congenital heart defects be detected prior to birth?
Yes, it is possible to detect congenital heart defects before birth.
But not all such defects are serious; most are mild cases that need minor intervention. In a few cases, these defects in the circulatory system are identified only after birth and in rare cases, only once the individual reaches adolescence.
How is a congenital heart defect diagnosed?
Sometimes a gynecologist may find some abnormalities in the routine prenatal ultrasound. In such a situation, your doctor may want you and the fetus to undergo further testing. A special fetal echocardiogram may help the gynecologist to know more about the fetal heart. Through this, it is possible to detect heart-related issues in the child before birth.
In most cases, a congenital heart defect is detected right after birth.
After the birth of a child, there are a series of checks and tests conducted to confirm the health of the newborn. It is then that abnormalities (if any) surface.
- Physical Exam: Immediately after birth, every newborn is thoroughly examined. The doctor checks the baby’s heartbeat. In case of doubt, tests are further conducted to identify the issue.
- Chest X-Ray: In case the doctor has a doubt that the baby may have any structural abnormalities in the heart, then getting a chest x-ray may help in confirming it.
- ECG: An ECG is conducted to check the heart’s rhythm-related abnormalities.
Is it possible to treat congenital heart defects?
Yes, it is possible to treat congenital heart defects.
But it is important to know that most cases of congenital heart defects are mild. There is no need for medical intervention in very mild cases. With time as the body of the child grows and develops, the defect also gets naturally corrected.
It is only in more chronic cases that medical intervention is needed.
When there is a gap or structural issue detected, surgery is required to fix the issue.
In case the blood isn’t adequately oxygenated, oxygen therapy is initially provided to the infant. Oxygen therapy means providing more oxygen to the body by giving additional support than what the body can naturally procure from the surroundings.
In case the blood pressure of the newborn is above the average limit, medication is given to the child to regulate it.
How can an expectant mother reduce the risk of congenital heart defects for her child?
- Avoid smoking, including passive smoking, once you know that you are pregnant. Passive smoking occurs when you inhale cigarette smoke because someone near you is smoking. This means that if your partner smokes, then he too should refrain from it when he is around you.
- Avoid consuming alcohol at all costs once you know you are expecting.
- An expectant mother should not take any medication without consent from her doctor. This is because certain painkillers, anti-seizure medicines, and drugs such as topical retinoids used for treating acne increase the risk of a child being born with a heart defect.
- Get vaccinated against rubella if you haven’t been vaccinated already. Rubella or German Measles is dangerous for the unborn child as it can cause multiple congenital defects.
- Avoid consuming recreational drugs completely.
- Make sure that you visit your gynecologist as per your scheduled appointments and also get all tests done as and when required. Sometimes early detection helps in treatment.
- If there is a family history of congenital heart defects, report this to your doctor immediately.
- If you are expecting and are diabetic, take extra care of yourself. Mothers with type 1 and type 2 diabetes stand at a higher risk of giving birth to a child with a cardiac defect.