Complications of congenital heart defects
Most children who have corrected congenital heart defects lead normal lives. However, complications sometimes develop.
Heart failure is a major complication of congenital heart defects. Heart failure may develop many years after the defect is diagnosed. It can cause a variety of symptoms, such as severe difficulty breathing or irregular heartbeats (arrhythmias). For more information about signs and symptoms related to heart failure, see the topic Heart Failure.
Other complications of congenital heart defects may include:
- Problems from heart valve replacements. As the child grows, new valves are needed.
- Heart murmur. Many people with congenital heart defects have a humming sound (heart murmur) that can be heard with a stethoscope even after the heart defect is repaired. Some murmurs indicate a heart problem, but most heart murmurs are harmless and often are outgrown (sometimes called "innocent" heart murmurs). However, children with congenital heart defects need to have any murmur regularly checked by a health professional.
- Clubbing, which is a condition where the ends of the fingers and toes swell, and the nails bulge outward.
- Polycythemia, which is an abnormal increase in the number of red blood cells. This may increase a person's risk for blood clots that can cause heart attacks or strokes.
- Problems with the brain and nerves. An example of this is infection in the brain. This can happen as a result of bacteria in the blood that gets into the brain tissue.
- Slowed growth.
- Blood clots.
- Medicine side effects.
| Author: | Douglas Dana Robin Parks, MS | Last Updated: December 20, 2007 |
| Medical Review: | Michael J. Sexton, MD - Pediatrics Larry A. Latson, MD - Pediatric Cardiology Andrew Swan, MD, CCFP, FCFP - Family Medicine | |
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