Congential Disorders

Congential heart disease implies failure of the fetal heart to develop normally, leading to many mechanical imperfections, some fatal and others causing disability. Most birth defects of the heart develop in the first trimester of pregnancy. The pregnant woman, for example, may contract an infection, such as German Measles (rubella), have malnutrition, or smoke heavily, all possibly associated with fetal heat defect.

When congenital defects prevent blood from being pumped normally through the lungs, Cyanosis, or blue baby syndrome, occurs. The congenital abnormality in this case can be an opening between the right and left sides of the heart (septal defect), together with the obstruction of blood flow into the lungs,. The infant body tissue receives unoxygenated blood; the symptom is blue coloration of the skin.

Other congenital defects do not cause cyanosis but may increase the work the heart must do as a result of ineffectual blood shunting or the obstruction of blood flow. For example, a malformation known as patent ductus arteriosus can occur, in which a small fetal vessel connecting the aorta and the pulmonary artery fails to close at birth. As a result, the lungs receive excessive blood flow, and the heart overworks to pump a limited supply of oxygenated blood to other body tissues. The developments in open heart surgery has alleviated many problems that may arise because of these defects.