Congenital Heart Disease
Congenital heart disease is any structural or functional deformity in the heart resulting from malformation in the womb. According to March of Dimes, “about 40,000 infants (1 out of every 125) are born with heart defects each year in the United States. The defect may be so slight that the baby appears healthy for many years after birth, or so severe that its life is in immediate danger.” The causes of congenital heart disease are usually unknown, though genetic and environmental factors are likely responsible. For a Spanish-language version of the Guide, click here.
Expand All Guide SectionsCongenital Heart Disease Resources
Dulcinea's Insight
- A recent study has shown that the mortality rates for congenital heart disease do not differ between men and women. However, there appears to be an association between gender and the risk for several outcomes in adults with congenital heart disease. Medscape reports that according to the study, women are more prone to pulmonary hypertension, whereas they have a lower risk for aortic complications and endocarditis. Relevant gender-specific health information such as this can be found in most disease overviews at credible health Web sites.
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For an overview …
WebMD
’s overview of congenital heart disease is thorough and authoritative. Conveniently, many of the terms and concepts used within, such as the different diagnosis methods, are hyperlinks to other WebMD articles with specialized information.
For information from nonprofit, advocacy and awareness groups …
The International Society for Adult Congenital Cardiac Disease
has a section “For Patients and Family” with a comprehensive directory of educational, medical, and support resources on the Web and in print. You’ll also find a glossary of terms and helpful illustrations showing a variety of heart conditions.
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