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Congenital Heart Disease
This month’s "Pints for Half Pints: Giving Kids Another
Chance" article will be on congenital heart disease.
Congenital means inborn or existing at birth. Congenital heart defects
occur in about one percent of all live births, making them the most common
congenital malformation among newborns. An example of Congenital Heart
Disease is tetralogy of Fallot.
 The
wall between the left and right ventricles of a child’s heart is not
complete, causing blood to flow from the right ventricle to the left
ventricle without going through the lungs. This prevents blood from
becoming oxygenated before going to the heart. Babies with tetralogy of
Fallot have a bluish hue, especially around the tongue, finger tips and
toes. This is called cyanosis, which is caused by a lack of oxygen in the
blood. Open-heart surgery is the only cure for tetralogy of Fallot. During
surgery, these children commonly use numerous units of blood. Most
children with tetralogy of Fallot have open-heart surgery before they
begin school.
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