Congenital Heart Defects

Congenital heart defects are the most common type of birth defect diagnosed in fetuses and newborns. They may be immediately suspected due to the infant turning blue, having a very low blood pressure or experiencing shortness of breath, feeding issues and/or difficulty gaining weight. Types of congenital heart defects that occur and can be treated in babies range from aortic valve stenosis and atrial septal defects to pulmonary atresia, tetralogy of Fallot, transposition of the great arteries, hypoplastic left heart syndrome, patent ductus arteriosus and more. While many heart defects in infants will not require advanced medical treatment, state-of-the-art surgical techniques available today can ensure that kids who require heart surgery grow up to live normal lives. One of the most often detected heart defects in babies is an atrial septal defect, which is simply a hole in the interior wall of the heart. Sometimes this hole closes up on its own over time. When it does not, potential surgical treatments include cardiac catheterization or open heart surgery to repair the hole.