You can learn more by just Clicking Here . About eight out of every thousand babies are born with a disorder of the heart. The cause of these disorders can rarely be found, though chromosome abnormalities, genetic factors and infections such as rubella during pregnancy may all play a role. Symptoms of congenital heart disease vary with the type of abnormality. Hypertension, poor growth and a bluish cast to the skin are among the common ones.
Some abnormalities produce no symptoms early in life.
Most congenital heart disorders can be corrected by surgery, and some mild abnormalities correct themselves in the first year of life. Timing of surgery depends on the child's overall health and the type of defect. It is not unusual to wait until the child is one or more years old. The most common abnormality, ventricular septal defect , is an opening between the lower chambers of the heart. It accounts for one-fourth of all congenital heart disease.