Congenital heart Defects: Causes, Prevention And Issues

How big is your heart?

The size of your heart is about the same size as your fist. Whether as an infant or as one grows into adulthood, the size proportion is roughly the same. The heart is the body engine that keeps one going. exercise, proper eating habits and clean living help keep the heart fit. There are instances though when one is born with a heart abnormality or, in medical parlance, a congenital heart defect.

What is a Congenital Heart Defect?

A congenital heart defect is structural flaw in the heart that is present at birth. It may cause the blood flow to slow down, go in the wrong direction, go to the wrong place, or it may block the flow completely. Sometimes, they are referred to as cyanotic heart disease or congenital cardiovascular malformations.

Common Congenital Heart Defects

Heart defects are among the most common type of birth defects. Every year, 35,000 babies are born with a heart defect in the U.S. The defect ranges from mild, requiring little or no treatment, to severe which could potentially put an infant’s life at risk. These cases have claimed the most number of deaths related to birth defects.

Examples of non-severe congenital heart diseases are Atrial Septal Defect (ASD), Patent Ductus Arteriosus and narrowed valves. On the other hand, the most common complex heart defect is tetralogy of Fallot. It results from a low oxygenation of blood flowing to the body.

Causes

Heart defects can be caused by prenatal environmental as well as genetic factors. In most cases though, the actual cause of the heart abnormality is unknown. alcohol consumption, nicotine and cocaine dependence during pregnancy could result to heart abnormalities. Prenatal drug medication, viral infections and health problems like diabetes, phenylketonuria (PKU) and deficiency in the B Vitamin folic acid likewise increase the risks. Heredity or genetic defects can also be predisposing factors.

Prevention

pregnancy is critical in the first trimester. The heart, like some other body organs, starts to develop shortly after conception. Chances of abnormal development or complications causing heart defects may happen.

Pre–natal drug medication should be taken with proper caution. There are drugs that pose substantial risks to the fetus. As an example, the U.S. food and Drug Administration (FDA) had issued several health advisories on the potential benefits and risks of antidepressants during pregnancy. According to FDA, studies on women taking Paxil in the first trimester of pregnancy reveal have about 1.5 to two times chances of conceiving a baby with a heart defect than women who took other antidepressants. The issue of pre-natal drug medication, like the Paxil birth defect, is one that should not be cast aside by any pregnant woman.

URL References:

http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/chd/types.html

http://www.americanpregnancy.org/birthdefects/congenitalheart.html

http://www.fi.It may interfere with the heart’s normal blood flow..html

http://www.fda.gov/drugs/DrugSafety/PostmarketDrugSafetyInformationforPatientsandProviders/DrugSafetyInformationforHeathcareProfessionals/PublicHealthAdvisories/ucm124348.htm

PKU

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