Congenital Heart Disease
Congenital heart disease is 
caused by heart defects which occur when a baby is developing in the womb. While these defects are occasionally severe, many are mild and do not cause any symptoms until much later in life. Around half a million adults in the US live with congenital heart disease, and about 8 to 10 babies out of every 1000 are born with some form of heart defect.
The cause of congenital heart disease is often unknown, but there are some conditions or behaviors which can contribute to malformations in the heart. These include Down Syndrome and other chromosomal disorders, Rubella infection in the pregnant mother, and drug and alcohol use during pregnancy. Heart defects are also genetic, and having a parent or sibling with the condition doubles the chance of a baby being born with it as well.
Sometimes heart disease symptoms are detected at birth or early in childhood. Often the defect in the heart is detected when a child’s pediatrician hears a heart murmur during a routine examination. Other symptoms in children may include rapid breathing, difficulty feeding, and slower weight gain than expected. These infants may also exhibit a blue tint to their skin and fingernails, or may suffer frequent lung infections. Other times, symptoms such as shortness of breath and difficulty exercising will appear later in life and warrant an exam. More extensive testing, such as a chest x-ray, MRI, or Electrocardiogram, will be ordered to verify the diagnosis.
If the heart disease is mild, it may require no further treatment. In more serious cases, surgery may be ordered to correct some or all of the defect, or the patient may need certain medications to manage their condition. Endocarditis, an infection of the heart valves, is a primary concern throughout life, but antibiotics can be taken during risky periods to prevent this from happening. Most people with congenital heart disease will need to be monitored by a heart specialist periodically throughout their lifetime. For more information on managing adult congenital heart disease, as well as recognizing heart disease symptoms, contact the Adult Congenital Heart Disease Association.