Congenital heart disease occurs as the result of structural defect in the heart. So, it can be detected right after the birth. Unfortunately every year, a wide majority of infants and children die of this ailment. Most of the children die as early as in their first year of life. The heart malfunctions and causes defective flow or circulation of the blood as well. The heart rhythm can also be observed to be defective at times. All these related symptoms lead to untimely death of the poor child.
Congenital heart disease is found to be the major cause of still births. It is not necessary that only infants or children are effected by this. Adults with this defect in the heart are many. This disease in adults is termed as grown-up congenital heart disease (GUCH). A survey has found that the number of GUCH cases is still rising. As a result, more and more babies with this heart abnormality are expected to be born in future. The symptoms associated with this disease are breathlessness, chest pain, infections in the respiratory system, murmur in the heart, blood and fluid accumulation in lungs and many parts of legs. The detection of this malfunctioning of heart is as easy as through a stethoscope and can be made as early as during the infancy period.
This type of heart defect can be minor as well as major. In some patients, it improves with time even without any medical treatment. Few precautions might need to be taken with the patient, especially with infants. But in most of the cases, the defect is corrected by surgical and medicinal treatments. Some cases do not respond well to mere one surgery and might require multiple ones. If ignored, congenital heart disease can take toll even on life. So, special care should be taken till the problem is sorted out treated completely.
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