Congenital Heart Defects - definition

(taken from What are Congenital Heart Defects? | CDC)

Congenital heart defects (CHDs) are present at birth and can affect the structure of a baby’s heart and the way it works. They can affect how blood flows through the heart and out to the rest of the body. CHDs can vary from mild (such as a small hole in the heart) to severe (such as missing or poorly formed parts of the heart).

CHDs are the most common type of birth defect. About 1 in 4 babies born with a heart defect has a critical CHD. Babies with a critical CHD need surgery or other procedures in the first year of life.

Signs and symptoms for CHDs depend on the type and severity of the particular defect. Some defects might have few or no signs or symptoms. Others might cause a baby to have blue-tinted nails or lips, fast or troubled breathing, tiredness when feeding, sleepiness.

The causes of CHDs among most babies are unknown. Some babies have heart defects because of changes in their individual genes or chromosomes. CHDs also are thought to be caused by a combination of genes and other factors, such as things in the environment, the mother’s diet, the mother’s health conditions, or the mother’s medication use during pregnancy.