CONGENITAL HEART DISEASE
Heart Point is primarily designed for people
interested in heart disease in adults. Since
we’ve come on line however, it’s become apparent
that there is also a great deal of interest in
congenital heart disease, disorders that
generally affect children. It is a vast topic,
and one that is difficult to generalize about.
Congenital Heart Disease are defects present
from birth and effect a little less than 1% of
all children. The heart starts in the embryo as
a simple pulsatile tube, and must twist and
rotate, cavitate, form valves, etc. to form the
complex four chambered organ – there are ample
opportunities for something to go wrong. It is
not surprising that abnormalities can occur,
perhaps it is only surprising they occur so
infrequently. They may take the form of abnormal
holes between the chambers of the heart,
incorrect connections between chambers and
vessels, valves which don’t open properly, or
others.
The causes are difficult to determine and
probably different in each case.
- Abnormalities of the chromosomes which carry
genetic information are associated with
congenital heart disease. Persons with well
described complex congenital abnormalities, such
as Down’s syndrome and many others, have an
increased incidence of certain types of
congenital heart disease.
- There is further evidence of a genetic
contribution in that parents who have had one
child with a congenital heart abnormality have
an increased risk of their next children having
some sort of congenital heart abnormality as
well. The risk is increased from the 1 in a
thousand range to 1 in twenty. (Remember, that
means a 19 in 20 chance of having a child
without the abnormality). The risk may be higher
in occasional families with certain forms of
congenital disease which are passed down
frequently to children.
- Infections in the mother, particularly early
in pregnancy, such as rubella ("German measles")
are associated with congenital heart
abnormalities in those children.
The therapy of these disorders is sometimes
quite complex, and should be discussed with your
physician.
