Congenital heart diseases present a variety of cardiovascular and pulmonary health challenges. Though the primary cause of CHD is not determined, genetics and DNA play a large role in the development of the chronic condition. (Photo by Katie Park)
Congenital heart disease (CHD) is the abnormality in the structure of the heart present at birth. Many problems can arise due to the disease and can form new existing complications conflicting with other bodily functions. CHD is the most common among worldwide births, affecting thousands of the hearts of newborns (1). Since the lungs are directly linked to the heart, the effects of CHD can lead to a wide variety of pulmonary complications as well as cardiovascular inefficiencies and damages.
A type of CHD is coronary artery disease (CAD), a complication that arises from fatty deposits in the coronary arteries and narrows the path in which blood flows to the heart, known as atherosclerosis (2). The blood flow to the heart can also be affected by valvular stenosis, the condition of stiffening and narrowing of the heart valves (3). Different parts of the heart may also be affected and can develop conditions such as atrial septal defect and tricuspid atresia. Atrial septal defect describes a protrusion in the upper heart chambers, increasing the volume of blood flow into the lungs (4). Tricuspid atresia is the condition of a missing or abnormal tricuspid heart valve, blocking blood flow from the right atrium to the right ventricle. Possible complications may include chronic diarrhea, heart failure, fluid in the abdomen, and sudden death (5). Congenital defects of the heart may also cause severe syndromes, such as the Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome. Although not life-threatening, this syndrome is defined as the presence of an extra abnormal electrical pathway in the heart. According to UAB Medicine, “This additional pathway creates periods of very rapid heartbeats, called supraventricular tachycardia” and is “present from birth, though symptoms may not occur until the teenage or young adult years,” (6).
As seen in the atrial septal defect, CHD can damage other body organs, specifically the lungs. Pulmonary hypertension is a type of high blood pressure that affects arteries in the lungs and the right side of the heart. According to the Mayo Clinic, in “one form of pulmonary hypertension, called pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), blood vessels in the lungs are narrowed, blocked or destroyed,” (7). This creates pressure in the lung arteries as blood flow through the lungs is diminished, causing the heart muscles to weaken. Pulmonary edema also arises from heart complications, allowing an excessive amount of fluid in the lungs due to the heart’s inability to pump efficiently and the increasing pressure in blood vessels (8).
Although the primary cause of CHD is not determined, medical researchers state that genetics and mutations in a child’s DNA can contribute to the development. Congenital heart defects are documented more often when the mother comes in contact with certain types of substances in the first few weeks of pregnancy, increasing the risk for heart deficiencies in the infant (9). Some risk factors of a mother having a child with CHD may include taking antiseizure medications, having phenylketonuria (PKU), diabetes, smoking, and drinking alcohol. CHD affects the cardiovascular health of infants at birth and may result in other complications, creating new inefficiencies in the infant’s overall health.
References
(1) Lung complications in children with congenital heart disease | Texas Children’s. http://www.texaschildrens.org. Accessed May 28, 2024. https://www.texaschildrens.org/content/wellness/lung-complications-children-congenital-heart-disease#:~:text=Congenital%20heart%20disease%20(CHD)%20is
(2) Cleveland Clinic. Coronary Artery Disease. Cleveland Clinic. Published October 13, 2023. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/16898-coronary-artery-disease
(3) Valvular heart disease. Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada. https://www.heartandstroke.ca/heart-disease/conditions/valvular-heart-disease#:~:text=Valvular%20stenosis%20(narrowing)
(4) Mayo clinic. Atrial septal defect (ASD) – Symptoms and causes. Mayo Clinic. Published March 1, 2022. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/atrial-septal-defect/symptoms-causes/syc-20369715
(5) Tricuspid atresia: MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia. medlineplus.gov. https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/001110.htm#:~:text=Tricuspid%20atresia%20is%20a%20type
(6) Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome Archives. UAB Medicine. Accessed May 28, 2024. https://www.uabmedicine.org/conditions/wolff-parkinson-white-syndrome/
(7) Mayo Clinic. Pulmonary hypertension – Symptoms and causes. Mayo Clinic. Published July 28, 2023. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/pulmonary-hypertension/symptoms-causes/syc-20350697
(8) Penn Medicine. Pulmonary Edema. Pennmedicine.org. Published 2022. https://www.pennmedicine.org/for-patients-and-visitors/patient-information/conditions-treated-a-to-z/pulmonary-edema#:~:text=Pulmonary%20edema%20is%20often%20caused
(9) default – Stanford Children’s Health. http://www.stanfordchildrens.org. https://www.stanfordchildrens.org/en/topic/default?id=factors-that-may-lead-to-a-congenital-heart-defect-chd-90-P01788
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