Congenital heart disease, or CHD, is a problem with the heart's structure and function that is present at birth. Congenital heart disease can describe a number of different problems affecting the heart. It is the most common type of birth defect. CHD causes more deaths in the first year of life than any other birth defects. There are many causes of CHD including problems with genes or chromosomes in the child, taking certain medications, drugs, or alcohol during pregnancy,and a viral infection, like rubella in the mother, in the first trimester or pregnancy. All of these things can cause your baby's heart to malfunction. Heart defects are the most common type of defect babies are born with, affecting approximately 1 out of every 110 babies
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More than 1 million U.S. adults are living with congenital heart disease. According to the American Heart Association’s Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics—2012 Update, heart defects continue to be the greatest source of infant deaths related to birth defects. A study published in 2010 found that deaths from congenital heart disease decreased in the United States by 24.1 percent from 1999 to 2006. This same 2010 study found, however, that racial disparities continue to impact survival rates. Infant mortality from congenital heart disease is higher among African Americans than Caucasians. According to the Adult Congenital Heart Association, 90 percent of children who were born with a heart defect will now survive into …show more content…
Heart Valve Defects is where your valves may be too narrow or completely closed. This causes the heart to restrict blood flow throughout the body.The walls of the heart could have holes or can make passageways to other parts of the body. There are types that also include problems with the muscle in your heart which could lead to heart failure. This can cause failure within the heart because your heart muscle may become damaged and weakened, and the ventricles stretch (dilate) to the point that the heart can't pump blood efficiently throughout your body. Over time, the heart can no longer keep up with the normal demands placed on it to pump blood to the rest of your body. Blood miscommunications is another type of CHD that can cause the blood to go to other parts of the body. This can be fatal because blood carries oxygen and nutrients to your body's tissues and it takes carbon dioxide and waste products away from the tissues. It is also needed to sustain life and promote the health of all the body's tissues. Congenital Heart Disease has many therapeutic treatments available but not all people with congenital heart defects require treatment. Some may only need to be observed and visit their cardiologist. In other cases, surgery or a cardiac catheterization may be needed to reduce the effects of and/or repair the defect. Even when a defect is treated as a child, further conditions may develop that would
More than 1 million U.S. adults are living with congenital heart disease. According to the American Heart Association’s Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics—2012 Update, heart defects continue to be the greatest source of infant deaths related to birth defects. A study published in 2010 found that deaths from congenital heart disease decreased in the United States by 24.1 percent from 1999 to 2006. This same 2010 study found, however, that racial disparities continue to impact survival rates. Infant mortality from congenital heart disease is higher among African Americans than Caucasians. According to the Adult Congenital Heart Association, 90 percent of children who were born with a heart defect will now survive into …show more content…
Heart Valve Defects is where your valves may be too narrow or completely closed. This causes the heart to restrict blood flow throughout the body.The walls of the heart could have holes or can make passageways to other parts of the body. There are types that also include problems with the muscle in your heart which could lead to heart failure. This can cause failure within the heart because your heart muscle may become damaged and weakened, and the ventricles stretch (dilate) to the point that the heart can't pump blood efficiently throughout your body. Over time, the heart can no longer keep up with the normal demands placed on it to pump blood to the rest of your body. Blood miscommunications is another type of CHD that can cause the blood to go to other parts of the body. This can be fatal because blood carries oxygen and nutrients to your body's tissues and it takes carbon dioxide and waste products away from the tissues. It is also needed to sustain life and promote the health of all the body's tissues. Congenital Heart Disease has many therapeutic treatments available but not all people with congenital heart defects require treatment. Some may only need to be observed and visit their cardiologist. In other cases, surgery or a cardiac catheterization may be needed to reduce the effects of and/or repair the defect. Even when a defect is treated as a child, further conditions may develop that would