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Ventricular septal defect Causes and Risks:
Ventricular septal defect is the most common congenital heart disorder. In many children, the opening is very small, produces no symptoms, and will probably close on its own before the child is 18 years old. In more severe cases, heart failure may develop, requiring medical or surgical treatment.
This defect may also be associated with other heart defects. The cause of most congenital heart defects is unknown. Prenatal factors that are associated with a higher than normal incidence of the disease include maternal rubella or other viral illnesses during pregnancy , poor prenatal nutrition, maternal alcoholism , maternal age over 40, and diabetes .
Prevention:
This condition is present at birth. Women who plan to become pregnant should be vaccinated against rubella if they are not already immune. Good nutrition, avoiding alcohol, and control of diabetes BEFORE and DURING pregnancy may be helpful.
Symptoms:
Signs and Tests:
A stethoscope examination ( auscultation ) of the heart shows a heart murmur.
Tests include:
Treatment:
In mild cases, no treatment is indicated. With congestive heart failure , medications such as digitalis (digoxin) and diuretics may be prescribed to control symptoms. Surgical repair of the defect should be done between the ages of 2 and 5 years old.
Prognosis:
Many small defects will close on their own. For those defects that do not spontaneously close, the outcome is good with surgical repair. Complications may result if the defect is not treated.
Complications:
Call Your Healthcare Provider:
Most often, this condition is diagnosed during routine examination of an infant. Call your infant's health care provider if the baby seems to be having difficulty breathing , or if the baby seems to have an unusual number of respiratory infections.
This is a cross-sectional view of the interior of the heart. The valves, chambers, and associated vessels are labeled.
This is an illustration of the exterior of the heart. The arteries are colored blue and represent blood that is flowing into the heart. The veins are red and indicate blood flow out from the heart. The chambers are also labeled.
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