What is congenital heart disease?

What is congenital heart disease?

Congenital heart disease (CHD) is a defect or problem with the heart’s structure that’s present at birth, such as:

• A hole in the heart wall.
• Issues with the blood vessels (too many or too few, blood flowing too slowly, to the wrong place or in the wrong direction).
• Problems with the heart valves.

Some cases of CHD are simple and may not cause any symptoms, but others can be life-threatening and require treatment.

Heart defects may be detected early (before a baby is born or shortly afterward). But sometimes, CHD isn’t diagnosed until childhood, adolescence or adulthood.