Kendra M.

Mrs. Robinson

Honors English III

12 November 2008

Congenital Heart Defects: The Silent Slayer of Infants

When I was developing in my mother before pregnancy, the doctor did an echocardiogram and diagnosed me with CHD. CHD is the acronym for congenital heart disease, which is a defect children are born with. Usually, the public is informed about AIDS and cancer, but what about CHD? The public should be better informed about congenital heart defects; like all other diseases, children with congenital heart defects face a future of severe effects such as abnormal childhoods, obesity, and poor social skills.

The ignorance the American public has for congenital heart disease is disheartening. Congenital heart defects are a serious matter and have affected thousands of lives, thousands of infants, and thousands of families. Congenital heart defects are diseases diagnosed when infants have damage to their heart structure at birth. The deficiency can engage the heart’s the interior walls, valves, or the arteries and veins (What are congenital heart defects). In the human body there is the circulatory system and it is made up of the heart, lungs, and blood vessels. In the circulatory system, the heart is the propulsion. It is the central power that thrusts blood into circulation (Baffa). The circulatory system of the body has three systems that work separately. They are the coronary circulation, systemic circulation, and the pulmonary circulation. For the circulatory system to work as one, these three systems must work independently (Body systems: circulatory system). With all the different ways for the heart to be deformed, there is more than one type of congenital heart defects.

Congenital occurs “from errors in cardiac development in utero” (Stewart). Congenital heart defects are classed as acynotic and cyanotic lesions (Saenz).

Acyanotic heart defects are defects that intervene with the quantity of oxygen and blood that reaches the tissues. Cyanotic heart defects are defects that permit oxygen-poor and oxygen- rich blood to mix. The classification of congenital heart disease does not end here. There are more than 30 types of congenital heart defects known, most of which are rare (Bunch 120). In some cases, a victim of congenital heart disease may have more than one type present (Congenital heart disease).A Ventricular septal defect which is also known as “holes in the heart” is the most common type diagnosed (Stewart). I was diagnosed with a ventricular septal defect when I was born.

How infants obtain congenital heart defects is unknown (Stewart). In most cases, the origin of CHD is acknowledged from gene mutations and defects. Some of these defects come from drugs, “German” measles (rubella), alcohol in prenatal exposure, and environmental factors (Bunch 119). According to research conducted by the U.S. National Library of Medicine and the National Institute of Health, HealthDay News reported that pregnant women who smoke risk giving their newborn a higher chance of receiving of congenital heart defects. The study theorizes smoking increases the risk by 60%. Also, the risk is increased when exposed to secondhand smoking (Congenital heart defects). If the mother used cocaine or used over-the-counter medicines are also factors (Congenital heart disease). Another suspected cause of congenital heart defects is medication mothers take during pregnancy. Some medications that can increase the risk are lithium, anti-seizure medications, and Accutane (Congenital heart defects). Another environmental factor that might explain how children receive congenital heart defects is viral infections. Babies have an increased risk of receiving congenital heart defects in women who develop rubella during the first tri-period of pregnancy (Congenital heart defects). As Dr. Robert Stewart, a congenital heart surgeon of UNC medical center stated: “Whether these gene problems are inborn or a result of environmental effects is also most unknown at present (Stewart).” Thus, we should acknowledge the public of congenital heart disease and encourage further discovery.

Congenital heart defects are the most frequent of birth defects that cause infant death. Out of all children with birth defects, one third of those died from a heart defect. As published in an article online: “213, 000 life years were lost before age 65 due to deaths from congenital cardiovascular disease. This is nearly equivalent to the life years lost from leukemia, prostate cancer and Alzheimer’s disease combined” (Heart disease and stroke statistics). A study in 1970 overviewed the birth of 56,109 children. 457 of them were found to have congenital heart disease. Thus this study supports the idea that 8 children of every 1000 (1/125) will have congenital heart disease (Mitchell). Every year over 35,000 American infants are diagnosed to having congenital heart disease (What are congenital heart defects).

These are the statistics of common congenital heart defects:

• Tetralogy of Fallot is a hole between the ventricles: 9–14%
• Atrioventricular septal defects is shortage of the atrioventricular septum: 4–10%,
• Transposition of the great arteries is when the aorta and the pulmonary artery are reversed: 10–11%,
• Coarctation of the aorta is when the aorta is narrow: 8–11%,
• Hypoplastic left heart syndrome is when the aorta, left ventricle, mitral valve, and aortic valve is underdeveloped: 4–8%,
• Ventricular septal defects is a hole in the heart: 14–16%,
• All other defects come across about 30% of the time

(Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics).

<!–[if gte vml 1]> <![endif]–><!–[if !vml]–><!–[endif]–><!–[if gte mso 9]> \s <![endif]–>Figure 1: Displays the occurrence of certain CHD (Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics).

Congenital defects, besides their different types, face similar effects that occur before being treated. These include some babies becoming blue, having very low blood pressure, sweating, breathing difficulties, feeding problems, poor weight gain, and heart murmurs (Pediatric cardiology). Heart murmurs are common in average children, not just children with congenital heart disease. For example, when I was younger I experienced heart murmurs, however, so did my childhood friends. I also experienced some of these symptoms by becoming blue sometimes and having poor weight gain.

There are many procedures used to cure the excruciating effects children face from congenital heart effects. The detection of congenital heart defects is usually exposed with pediatric echocardiography. It also detects heart murmurs and is necessary to evaluate surgical treatments and the effectiveness of medical therapy (Pediatric echocardiography). An echocardiogram is commonly referred to as an ultrasound. An ultra sound uses sound waves that transmit through a transducer (Whitt). An echocardiogram creates an image of the internal anatomy of the heart (Pediatric echocardiography). Studies suggest that prenatal four-chamber screening can detect up to 60% of congenital heart defects. However, this procedure is not considered reliable enough to determine if a child has CHD. According to a study, four-chamber images overlook 23 percent of defects (Saenz). Of course, any procedure a patient receives depends upon the type and severance of the defect. The treatment also depends upon the patient’s size and age. The treatment may be receiving catheters or surgery (Congenital heart defects, treatments). Surgery can help improve the circulation of blood and oxygen. Congenital heart defects diverge in severance among victims. Surgery is usually treated to patients who have lack of oxygen and defects that can lead to severe dilemmas (DeMilto). The procedures used for diagnosing and treating congenital heart defects do not end with surgery.

After treatment, there are several side effects that may affect the lives of these children. Victims who face congenital heart defects should be aware of Bacterial endocarditis. BE can occur even if the heart was replaced or repaired during surgery (Stein). Bacterial endocarditis is a severe disease inside the lining or valves of the heart, if not treated it can result in heart failure (Living with congenital heart defects). Besides internal conflicts, according to a study, a high frequency of children with congenital or acquired heart defects are overweight or obese. More than 25% of infants with heart defects are obese or overweight! Children are now at risk for long-term cardiovascular disability because of obesity (Cohen). Children with CHD may be obese or overweight because they eat of old habits that promote weight gain (Nutrition and physical activity). According to another study, children with congenital heart defects are suspected to experience coordination and behavioral problems. Also visual- motor and language skill deficits are common (Wernovsky). This may result in children not being able to participate or play a minimum of sports. Such as children with Marfan syndrome which is a disorder of connective tissue. There the victims are very tall and have amplification of their aorta. These victims should participate in low-intensity competitive sports. (Congenital heart disease). Also while children with congenital heart defects are affected by their nutritional habits.

Normally infants within four to five months of age double their birth weight. However, infants with congenital heart defects may grow slower. In most cases growth depends upon the severity and type of heart disease. Factors that interfere with growth in children who have CHD are rapid heart beat, poor appetite, hypoxia, and poor absorption of nutrients. Children with CHD may develop frequent respiratory infections such as bronchitis and pneumonia, fatigue, and the need for more calories associated with the heart defect. Some infants who have congenital heart defects may require feeding through a nasogastrictube. These are used when infants with congenital heart defects do not receive the sufficient quantity with breastfeeding and bottle-feeding alone. This tube is placed in the infant’s nose and delivers the needed formula or breast milk. Some methods of tube feeding are using a gastrostomy tube or a jejeunostomy tube. These methods require the placement of the tube surgically into the stomach (gastrostomy) or intestine (jejeunostomy). The components used for children to stay healthy are heartening.

In conclusion, children who have congenital heart defects face a trauma larger than what you would expect. In my case, I am healthy and normal compared to those who never had CHD. However, children with congenital heart defects may face severe effects, procedures, and a life of pain afterward. This is why there should be more awareness about this assassin disease.

Works Cited

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