What is it?
Congenital heart disease includes all sorts of abnormalities of the cardiovascular structure that develops before birth. It is such a common disease that an estimated 1 child with this problem is born every 15 minutes. It is one of the most common birth defects so even though some parents feel hopeless, at the end of the day, there will always be an equivalent treatment to help a child cope with congenital heart disease.
Causes
Scientists are in agreement that there is no clear-cut way of knowing what caused the problem. It could be due to anti-seizure medications that were taken while a woman was pregnant or it could simply be due to genetics. The usual culprit of drugs and alcohol intake while pregnant are usually to blame for congenital heart problems as well. A few diseases like rubella, diabetes, and lupus are also thought of as possible causes of heart disease even before birth.
Symptoms
Some people with a congenital heart defect will go on to live normal lives before even discovering that they have a problem. For adults, swelling, fatigue after minimal physical exertion, shortness of breath, and a bluish tint are all symptoms of an underlying problem. As for newborn babies, a heart murmur is usually thought of as a symptom of a heart defect.
