Congenital Heart Defects

About one baby in every 100 is born with a heart defect. Some heart defects have a genetic link; for others, the cause is unknown.

Congenital heart defects, or lesions, are parts of the heart that have not formed properly. The most common kind of congenital heart defects are what are referred to as flow defects since they affect how blood flows through the heart.

What kinds of heart defects are there?

There are two types of heart conditions: cyanotic and acyanotic. A cyanotic condition has cyanosis as a symptom. Cyanosis makes the lips, gums and skin turn a blue colour. It is caused by blood that doesn’t have enough oxygen traveling to these areas. Someone with an acyanotic heart condition does not have blue coloured lips, gums and skin.

Some babies with a congenital heart defect breathe faster and sweat when eating or sleeping. These babies can have feeding problems, become sweaty when eating and may not gain weight as quickly as a baby with no heart defect.

Babies with a congenital heart defect can become very ill with lung infections caused by the RSV.