If Your Child Has a Heart Defect

As expectant parents look forward to the birth of their child they may wonder which parent the baby will look like, whose eyes will their baby have, or, if they haven’t found out already, if they are having a boy or a girl. Most parents do not think about if their newborn will have a heart defect. But about one in 125 babies are born with some form of heart defect, ranging from so mild that it may not even noticeable to so severe that it can be life threatening.

A heart defect is a structural abnormality of the heart that is present at birth. These defects occur during the early weeks of pregnancy when the heart is developing. While genetic or environmental factors may play a role in some heart defects, in most cases the cause is unknown. Some heart defects are related to other birth defects, such as Down syndrome. Having a child with a heart defect increases the chance of having another child with the same or another heart defect to about two to three percent. The general population rate is about one percent.

Birth defects may be identified before birth using echocardiography. After birth, some babies who exhibit symptoms of heart problems, such as bluish tint to the skin, breathing difficulties, poor weight gain, or swelling of the legs or abdomen, may undergo a chest X-ray, electrocardiogram or echocardiogram to diagnose a heart condition. There are at least 18 different types of congenital heart defects. Some of the more common ones include:
• Patent ductus arteriosus, when the large artery that allows blood to bypass the lungs before birth does not close properly.
• Septal defect, a hole in wall that divides the right and left sides of the heart.
• Coarctation of the aorta, part of the large artery that sends blood to the rest of the body is too narrow for blood to flow properly.
• Heart valve abnormalities, such as valves that do not close properly, are blocked or too narrow for blood to flow evenly.
• Transposition of the great arteries, which occurs when the two major arteries leaving the heart are reversed.

Many children who need to undergo surgery to repair heart defects do so in the first months of life. As they get older, most children with heart defects usually need only periodic checkups with testing as necessary, typically every one to five years for minor conditions. They generally handle typical childhood illnesses as well as children with normal hearts. Those with heart conditions usually can be fully active and do not need restrictions. Exercise actually may be recommended to help keep the heart fit and avoid obesity. However, several specific heart conditions may prevent some strenuous physical activity as well as junior varsity or varsity competitive sports.

Approximately 1.4 million children and adults in the United States have congenital heart defects, most of whom lead active, normal lives. For more information about heart defects, visit the March of Dimes website at www.marchofdimes.com.