FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Faq's
Can You Be Cured of Congenital Heart Disease?
CHD has no known cure. Many patients have heart surgery to repair their hearts, yet they are not cured. Heart surgery may have long-term consequences, such as irregular heartbeats. And in need of regular follow-ups with a Cardiologist.
Can Congenital Heart Disease go undetected?
Congenital Heart Disease is the most prevalent kind of birth defect. Yet, despite significant breakthroughs in screening and diagnosis, the problem can go undetected for a long time until heart damage has advanced to the point that observable symptoms are present. Congenital cardiac disease ranges in severity. Depending on the kind of heart disease and its severity, most symptoms may not be seen until patients reach adulthood.
Can Congenital Heart Disease be corrected?
Some can be corrected through open-heart surgery or minimally invasive heart surgery to repair a congenital heart defect. If a serious heart defect can't be repaired, a heart transplant may be needed.
How common are Congenital Heart Defects?
CHD are the most common type of birth defect. Nearly 1 in 100 babies (about 1 per cent or 40,000 babies) is born with a heart defect.
Can Congenital Heart Disease be corrected?
Some can be corrected through open-heart surgery or minimally invasive heart surgery to repair a congenital heart defect. If a serious heart defect can't be repaired, a heart transplant may be needed.
When are Congenital Heart Defects formed?
Congenital heart defects happen in the first 8 weeks of the baby's development. This is the most common type of birth defect. A baby's heart starts to develop at conception. But it is fully formed by 8 weeks into the pregnancy.
Cyanotic Heart Disease
Cyanosis refers to a bluish colour of the skin and mucous membranes. Cyanotic heart disease refers to a group of many different heart defects that are present at birth (congenital). They result in a low blood oxygen level.
When to contact us?
IF SYMPTOMS LIKE: 1. Increased Heart Rate 2. Difficulty Breathing 3. Poor Appetite 4. Excessive Sweating while Feeding 5. failure to thrive/gain weight 6. Decrease Energy/Activity level 7. Prolonged/unexplained Fever
Can Congenital Heart Defects be hereditary?
NOT ALL CHILDREN WILL INHERIT CHD! Congenital heart disease can be caused by a number of hereditary health issues that a newborn inherits from one or both parents. If one of the parents has CHD, their future child may also be born with CHD.
Can Congenital Heart Defects detect before birth?
Through a Fetal Echocardiography test, certain CHD can be detected during pregnancy before the child is even born. However, some CHDs are not detected until after birth or later in life, during childhood or adulthood.
Does a Congenital Heart Defect qualify for disability?
No, CHD doesn't come under the disability act! A heart ailment is not covered within the definition of disability in the Act.
When are Congenital Heart Defects detected?
May initially be suspected during a routine ultrasound scan! Fetal echocardiography will then be carried out at around 18 to 22 weeks of the pregnancy to try to confirm the exact diagnosis.