Baby with Heart Defects

Some babies can be born with heart defects due to one of the pregnancy complications. The complications in a baby’s heart are referred to as Congenital Heart Defects (CHD). There is no reason why some babies are born with heart defects. However, the abnormalities in the number of baby’s chromosomes and some other factors may affect a baby’s heart.

What is Congenital Heart Defect?

Congenital Heart Defect

During fetal development, the heart and the blood vessels of a baby may not grow properly. Possibly, the passage of blood inside the heart or vessel is blocked.

In such a scenario, the blood runs abnormally through the heart or the parts that are yet to develop.

CHD is an abnormality in a neonatal. It can affect the heart walls, heart valves, and blood vessels of the baby. The abnormal formation of the heart during a baby’s growth in a womb is responsible for congenital heart defects.

Mainly it occurs due to gene or environmental factors. However, the reason for heart defects in babies is unknown in eight out of the ten cases. Read on to understand why some babies are born with heart defects.

Also Read: Super Foods to Make Your Kids Brain Sharp and Active

Types of Congenital Heart Defects:

CHD is the most commonplace kind of congenital disability. Not all Congenital Heart Defects are the same. Depending on seriousness that requires medications and treatment to, and severe that requires surgical treatment.

Most congenital heart defects affect the heart walls, valves, and vessels of the infant.

Here are some of the common types of Congenital Heart Defects: 

  • Septal Defect: Hole in the heart
  • ASD – Atrial Septal Defect: Hole in heart’s wall, between the left and right atria, or the upper chamber.
  • VSD – Ventricular Septal Defect: Hole that separates ventricles or lower chambers. 
  • CAVC – Complete Atrioventricular Canal Defect: Hole that affects all four chambers.
  • Valve Defects: Restricts the blood through the baby’s heart arteries or ventricles. Several types of valve defects involve Stenosis, Regurgitation, Atresia, Ebstein’s Anomaly, and Pulmonary Valve Stenosis.

Congenital Heart Disease - Tetralogy Fallot

  • Tetralogy of Fallot: A type of congenital heart defects combining the four of these: Large Ventricular Septal Defect, Aorta located above a hole in the ventricular wall, the thick wall around the lower chamber or right ventricle, and stiff pulmonary valve.

Reasons for Heart Defects in Babies:

While your neonatologist doesn’t know why your baby has a heart defect, the cause can be any of the following.

Single Gene Defect:

One cause of a baby’s heart defect is gene disorder. A person has around 70,000 genes in each cell of his/her body. They come in pairs, and each pair consists of 1 mother gene and one father gene. Genes are responsible for controlling our traits. But they can even lead to several health concerns.

Several health issues may occur due to 1 genetic disorder. This genetic disorder is known as a syndrome. One of the most common symptoms of a baby’s heart defect is Down syndrome.

Some of the genetic syndromes with higher heart defect rates are listed below:

  • Marfan syndrome
  • Noonan syndrome
  • Mucopolysaccharidoses
  • Smith-Lemli-Opitz syndrome
  • Holt-Oram syndrome
  • Alagille syndrome
  • Ellis-van Creveld syndrome

Some other genetic syndromes are not associated with single gene defects but can lead to heart defects. They are:

  • Goldenhar syndrome (hemifacial microsomia)
  • CHARGE syndrome
  • VACTERL association

In the case of genetic syndromes, the doctors may recommend some tests. If your baby has a genetic problem, visit a NICU Hospital for Neonatal care.

Also Read: Yoga Poses for Kids – Keep Your Children & Babies Healthier & Fit

Chromosome Abnormalities:

Chromosome Abnormalities

There are around 46 chromosomes in each cell of a person’s body. These structures contain genes. Chromosome abnormalities are when you have too many or too few chromosomes. It leads to chronic health concerns and congenital disabilities. When a part of the chromosome is missing, it leads to structural defects in infants.

The issues in chromosomes are responsible for genetic syndromes. It often leads to a higher risk of heart defects in babies.

Following are some of the chromosomes syndromes associated with Congenital Heart Defects:

  • Down syndrome (trisomy 21)
  • Trisomy 18 and trisomy 13
  • Williams syndrome
  • Turner’s syndrome
  • Cri-du-chat syndrome
  • Wolf-Hirschhorn syndrome
  • DiGeorge syndrome (22q11)

A doctor does a chromosome analysis with a small blood sample. It checks for a chromosome abnormality in a baby with a CHD. It shows if chromosomes are the culprit.

Maternal Factors:

In the process of fetal development, when your baby’s heart is in a growing stage, a congenital heart defect may occur due to maternal factors.

Maternal factors for congenital heart defects may include: 

  • Environmental substances
  • Medical Conditions
  • Habits like smoking and alcohol consumption
  • Viral infections during pregnancy
  • Obesity 

Family History:

The risk of congenital heart defect increases by three times if there is a heart defect family history. In each pregnancy, a parent’s heart defect promotes 50% of babies with congenital heart defects. Similarly, there will be a 50% chance that your baby will not be affected by your congenital heart defect.

Conclusion Remarks:

1% of neonates are born with congenital heart defects. The reasons can, however, be hidden, but the treatment is possible. Your doctor may advise you on medications, surgical treatment, or combinations of both. It may vary from the severity of the defect.

Visit the NICU Hospital for your neonatal care and baby health care at an affordable price. The experts here figure out the reasons for heart defects in babies and treat babies with congenital heart defects.

Image Source: Congenital Heart Disease – Tetralogy Fallot, Congenital Heart Defect, Chromosome Abnormalities

Some babies can be born with heart defects due to one of the pregnancy complications. The complications in a baby’s heart are referred to as Congenital Heart Defects (CHD). There is no reason why some babies are born with heart defects. However, the abnormalities in the number of baby’s chromosomes and some other factors may affect a baby’s heart.

What is Congenital Heart Defect?

Congenital Heart Defect

During fetal development, the heart and the blood vessels of a baby may not grow properly. Possibly, the passage of blood inside the heart or vessel is blocked.

In such a scenario, the blood runs abnormally through the heart or the parts that are yet to develop.

CHD is an abnormality in a neonatal. It can affect the heart walls, heart valves, and blood vessels of the baby. The abnormal formation of the heart during a baby’s growth in a womb is responsible for congenital heart defects.

Mainly it occurs due to gene or environmental factors. However, the reason for heart defects in babies is unknown in eight out of the ten cases. Read on to understand why some babies are born with heart defects.

Also Read: Super Foods to Make Your Kids Brain Sharp and Active

Types of Congenital Heart Defects:

CHD is the most commonplace kind of congenital disability. Not all Congenital Heart Defects are the same. Depending on seriousness that requires medications and treatment to, and severe that requires surgical treatment.

Most congenital heart defects affect the heart walls, valves, and vessels of the infant.

Here are some of the common types of Congenital Heart Defects: 

  • Septal Defect: Hole in the heart
  • ASD – Atrial Septal Defect: Hole in heart’s wall, between the left and right atria, or the upper chamber.
  • VSD – Ventricular Septal Defect: Hole that separates ventricles or lower chambers. 
  • CAVC – Complete Atrioventricular Canal Defect: Hole that affects all four chambers.
  • Valve Defects: Restricts the blood through the baby’s heart arteries or ventricles. Several types of valve defects involve Stenosis, Regurgitation, Atresia, Ebstein’s Anomaly, and Pulmonary Valve Stenosis.

Congenital Heart Disease - Tetralogy Fallot

  • Tetralogy of Fallot: A type of congenital heart defects combining the four of these: Large Ventricular Septal Defect, Aorta located above a hole in the ventricular wall, the thick wall around the lower chamber or right ventricle, and stiff pulmonary valve.

Reasons for Heart Defects in Babies:

While your neonatologist doesn’t know why your baby has a heart defect, the cause can be any of the following.

Single Gene Defect:

One cause of a baby’s heart defect is gene disorder. A person has around 70,000 genes in each cell of his/her body. They come in pairs, and each pair consists of 1 mother gene and one father gene. Genes are responsible for controlling our traits. But they can even lead to several health concerns.

Several health issues may occur due to 1 genetic disorder. This genetic disorder is known as a syndrome. One of the most common symptoms of a baby’s heart defect is Down syndrome.

Some of the genetic syndromes with higher heart defect rates are listed below:

  • Marfan syndrome
  • Noonan syndrome
  • Mucopolysaccharidoses
  • Smith-Lemli-Opitz syndrome
  • Holt-Oram syndrome
  • Alagille syndrome
  • Ellis-van Creveld syndrome

Some other genetic syndromes are not associated with single gene defects but can lead to heart defects. They are:

  • Goldenhar syndrome (hemifacial microsomia)
  • CHARGE syndrome
  • VACTERL association

In the case of genetic syndromes, the doctors may recommend some tests. If your baby has a genetic problem, visit a NICU Hospital for Neonatal care.

Also Read: Yoga Poses for Kids – Keep Your Children & Babies Healthier & Fit

Chromosome Abnormalities:

Chromosome Abnormalities

There are around 46 chromosomes in each cell of a person’s body. These structures contain genes. Chromosome abnormalities are when you have too many or too few chromosomes. It leads to chronic health concerns and congenital disabilities. When a part of the chromosome is missing, it leads to structural defects in infants.

The issues in chromosomes are responsible for genetic syndromes. It often leads to a higher risk of heart defects in babies.

Following are some of the chromosomes syndromes associated with Congenital Heart Defects:

  • Down syndrome (trisomy 21)
  • Trisomy 18 and trisomy 13
  • Williams syndrome
  • Turner’s syndrome
  • Cri-du-chat syndrome
  • Wolf-Hirschhorn syndrome
  • DiGeorge syndrome (22q11)

A doctor does a chromosome analysis with a small blood sample. It checks for a chromosome abnormality in a baby with a CHD. It shows if chromosomes are the culprit.

Maternal Factors:

In the process of fetal development, when your baby’s heart is in a growing stage, a congenital heart defect may occur due to maternal factors.

Maternal factors for congenital heart defects may include: 

  • Environmental substances
  • Medical Conditions
  • Habits like smoking and alcohol consumption
  • Viral infections during pregnancy
  • Obesity 

Family History:

The risk of congenital heart defect increases by three times if there is a heart defect family history. In each pregnancy, a parent’s heart defect promotes 50% of babies with congenital heart defects. Similarly, there will be a 50% chance that your baby will not be affected by your congenital heart defect.

Conclusion Remarks:

1% of neonates are born with congenital heart defects. The reasons can, however, be hidden, but the treatment is possible. Your doctor may advise you on medications, surgical treatment, or combinations of both. It may vary from the severity of the defect.

Visit the NICU Hospital for your neonatal care and baby health care at an affordable price. The experts here figure out the reasons for heart defects in babies and treat babies with congenital heart defects.

Image Source: Congenital Heart Disease – Tetralogy Fallot, Congenital Heart Defect, Chromosome Abnormalities