Congenital heart disease 

Congenital heart disease is a general term for a range of birth defects that affect the normal workings of the heart. Congenital means that a condition is present at birth.

Congenital heart disease is one of the most common types of birth defect, and affects an estimated 6 in every 1,000 babies born in England.

Factors that are known to increase the risk of congenital heart disease include:

• Down’s syndrome – a genetic disorder that affects a baby's normal physical development and causes mild to moderate learning difficulties
• the mother having certain infections, such as rubella, during pregnancy
• the mother having poorly controlled type 1 diabetes or type 2 diabetes

However, in most cases, no obvious cause of congenital heart disease can be found. In these cases, it doesn't appear that anything the mother was exposed to during pregnancy significantly increased the risk.

Find out more about the causes of congenital heart disease.

Symptoms of congenital heart disease can range from mild to life threatening and include:

• chest pain
• shortness of breath
• blue-coloured skin, particularly on the fingers, toes and lips (the medical name for this is cyanosis)
• getting tired easily, particularly after exercise

Find out more about symptoms of congenital heart disease, including the most common types of congenital heart disease and how they affect the body.

Serious heart defects are usually apparent soon after birth. However, less serious heart defects may not be noticed until later childhood or even adulthood.

Types of congenital heart disease

There are over 30 different types of congenital heart disease which fall into three main categories:

• Septal defects – there is a hole between two of the heart’s chambers (septal defects are commonly referred to as "hole in the heart"), which can place extra strain on the heart, causing symptoms such as fatigue and shortness of breath.
• Obstruction defects – there is a partial or sometimes total blockage of the flow of blood through the various chambers of the heart, which can cause symptoms such as chest pain and dizziness.
• Cyanotic heart disease – one or more defects within the heart leads to a lack of oxygen being pumped around the body, which can trigger symptoms such as cyanosis (see above), breathing difficulties and persistent tiredness.

Outlook

The outlook for congenital heart disease varies depending on the type and severity of the heart defect. However, in most cases, the outlook is reasonably good because surgery can often restore most or all of the heart's normal function.

Find out more about treating congenital heart disease.

Because of advances in heart surgery, 85% of children with congenital heart disease will survive into adulthood. However, adults with congenital heart disease have a range of often complex needs, from physical to psychological and practical needs, such as getting life insurance.

For more information, see complications of congenital heart disease.