| This article is an attempt to remove confusion | | | | German measles (also known as rubella) during the |
| concerning some of the issues regarding congenital | | | | first trimester of her pregnancy she is more likely to |
| heart disease. | | | | give birth to a child with this disease. |
| Congenital heart disease is a kind of malformation or | | | | If someone in the family such as a parent, |
| heart defect that exists somewhere in the heart. In | | | | grandparent or brother or sister was born with a |
| some cases it is a defect that can be found in one | | | | congenital heart defect then the risk of a child in the |
| of the blood vessels of the heart. It is defined as | | | | family being born with it is even higher. For example, |
| congenital because the defect is present when a | | | | the risk for the general population is eight in 1000 but |
| baby is born. It is strongly believed that these types | | | | it becomes 16 in 1000 for those who have a family |
| of heart defects take place while the fetus is | | | | member with it. |
| developing but it is not clear at what stage | | | | There is more than one type of congenital heart |
| throughout the nine months that it takes hold. Out of | | | | disease. Heart valve defects are very common and |
| every 1,000 children born, 8 to 10 have this condition. | | | | these are stenosis or narrowing of the heart valves |
| Some babies show symptoms of congenital heart | | | | or in severe cases, valves that are narrowed to the |
| defects from the very beginning of their lives while | | | | point that they do not allow blood through at all. |
| other people will not show symptoms until later in | | | | Leaky valves also fall under the category of heart |
| their childhoods. In other cases, such a defect is not | | | | valve defects. Atrial and ventricular septal defects |
| discovered until a person has become an adult. It is | | | | which are defects in the walls between the atria and |
| estimated that 500,000 American adults suffer from | | | | ventricles of the heart cause some blood which is |
| congenital heart disease. | | | | oxygenated and some blood which is not, to mix |
| Trying to discover the cause of congenital heart | | | | which can cause problems in both the right and left |
| disease is not easy. Most of the time the cause of it | | | | areas of the heart. Another type of congenital heart |
| is not known. Doctors and medical researchers have | | | | disease is abnormalities in the heart muscle, which can |
| discovered factors that do seem to suggest an | | | | then cause heart failure. |
| increased risk of developing this disease however. | | | | Congenital heart disease can cause symptoms but |
| One of these risk factors is a chromosomal | | | | often times there are no symptoms at all. Sometimes |
| abnormality or a genetic abnormality such as Down | | | | it is necessary to undergo medical tests to determine |
| syndrome. Women who drink alcohol, use drugs or | | | | whether or not a person is afflicted with this disease. |
| take specific types of medication during the period of | | | | If symptoms do show themselves the two most |
| their pregnancy are more likely to give birth to | | | | common are shortness of breath and a decreased |
| children with congenital heart defects. When a | | | | ability for exercise. |
| woman contracts a maternal viral infection such as | | | | |