14 - Congenital heart defects

Summary

A congenital heart disorder is an abnormality of the circulation of the blood that was present at birth. ‘Congenital heart defects’ can also be called ‘congenital anomalies of the heart’ or ‘malformations of the heart’. These all refer to problems with the heart or primary blood vessels. Heart defects are the most common birth defects.

There are wide variations across the country for this cause of death. The map suggests that rates of death are lower in parts of the belt surrounding London and other major conurbations. It is unclear from these data whether that pattern reflects the true underlying incidence or whether it is, at least in part, created by differential diagnosis and treatment by area.

There are many different types of abnormalities of the heart that children can be born with. They vary from ones that are rapidly fatal without surgical treatment to ones that can remain undetected for many years. The abnormalities include holes between the two sides of the heart, constrictions in the major arteries, and the blood circulating incorrectly. The most common congenital heart defect is ventricular septal defect (a defect in the wall dividing the left and right ventricles of the heart).

Unlike other congenital disorders, many of these conditions often occur late in pregnancy or actually at birth. They are often due to holes in the heart that exist early in pregnancy but are normal at that stage. The abnormality is due to the holes failing to close at the normal time.