Congenital Heart Disease

Congenital heart disease is often first identified before birth through a fetal echocardiogram, an ultrasound examination that creates detailed images of the developing heart's structure and blood flow. After birth, a physical examination may reveal a heart murmur or abnormal breathing pattern that prompts further testing. Diagnostic tools used to confirm and characterize a heart defect include echocardiography, which remains the primary imaging method for evaluating heart structure and function in infants and children, along with electrocardiography to assess heart rhythm and, in more complex cases, cardiac MRI or catheterization to obtain a more detailed view of blood flow and pressure within the heart and vessels. Pulse oximetry screening, a simple test measuring blood oxygen levels, is also used routinely in newborns to help detect critical congenital heart disease that might not yet be causing visible symptoms.

Treatment for congenital heart disease is tailored to the specific defect, its severity, and the child's overall condition, and approaches range from careful observation to surgical repair. Some minor defects, particularly small holes in the heart wall, may close on their own over time and require only periodic monitoring through childhood. Medications may be used to help the heart pump more effectively, control blood pressure, or manage fluid buildup while a more definitive treatment is planned or in cases where surgery is not immediately necessary. Catheter-based procedures, in which a thin tube is guided through a blood vessel to repair certain defects without open surgery, are used for a growing number of conditions. More complex defects typically require surgical repair, which may take place in one procedure or, for particularly complex anomalies, as a planned series of operations performed over the first months or years of life.

Children treated for congenital heart disease typically require lifelong follow-up with a cardiologist experienced in congenital heart conditions, even after successful repair, since some defects can affect heart function over the long term. Nutritional support is often an important part of care for infants whose heart condition affects feeding and growth, and a structured feeding plan may be recommended to help ensure adequate weight gain. For children with more complex heart disease, coordinated care involving cardiology, and where relevant nutrition and developmental specialists, helps address the full range of needs that can accompany a significant heart defect.