The term congenital refers to a flaw that is present from birth. Congenital heart disease is a condition in which one or more structural flaws in the heart are present from birth. The issue may have an impact on the walls of the heart, the blood vessels, and the heart valves. Some congenital cardiac abnormalities are not life-threatening. Complications from complex defects, on the other hand, can be deadly.

The cause of a congenital cardiac abnormality is not always known by doctors. They tend to run in families and having a congenital heart abnormality increases your risk if a parent or a close relative has one, as per Web MD reports.

Prevention

Pregnant women or women planning to become pregnant can reduce their chances of giving birth to a child with a congenital heart defect by adopting these steps, as per Health line reports.

1. Discuss with your doctor any prescription or over-the-counter medications you are taking.

2. Before getting pregnant, make sure your blood sugar levels are under control if you have diabetes.

3. If you have a family history of congenital cardiac issues, talk to your doctor about genetic testing. Certain genes may have a role in the aberrant development of the heart.

Diagnosis

1. During pregnancy

Doctors may discover several issues during pregnancy before the baby is born. A fetal echocardiography or gene testing can be used to diagnose the condition before birth.

2. During childhood

The diagnosis during infancy or childhood years is conducted by monitoring the child’s heartbeat in order to determine his or her wellbeing. They may prescribe additional tests such as an echocardiography, EKG, chest X-ray, MRI, and CT scans, pulse oximetry, and cardiac catheterization if they hear an unusual sound or hear a heart murmur.

3. Adulthood

Some patients with congenital heart abnormalities do not become aware of their condition until later in life. During a normal physical, your doctor may discover problems, or you may develop symptoms. After a cardiac test, such as echocardiography, your doctor may discover it.

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