Septal Defect in Babies

It's frightening to hear that your baby has been diagnosed with a septal defect, particularly because these problems involve heart abnormalities. However, most septal defects cause no major problems in infants and due to their early detection rates, are usually corrected before serious complications can occur.

Types

• Septal defects, also called "holes in the heart," can be either atrial or ventricular and refer to one or more holes in the heart's septal wall. These are congenital heart defects, meaning they are present at birth and formed while your child was a growing fetus. There is no known way to prevent a septal defect, so mothers who followed healthy lifestyles during pregnancy shouldn't be concerned that their behavior may have contributed to their baby's problem.

Atrial Septal Defects

• An atrial septal defect (ASD) occurs when there is a hole in the wall that separates the two upper chambers of the heart, the atria. An ASD is a result of improper heart development during the fetal stage, although an exact cause is unknown in 95 percent of heart defects. In other cases, the defect may be due to a viral infection, genetics, other medical conditions or certain drugs.

ASD Symptoms and Treatment

• Most babies with an ASD have no symptoms but those with severe cases may display poor growth, low appetite, fatigue, shortness of breath or lung problems. An untreated ASD may eventually lead to irregular heart rhythms, stroke and pulmonary hypertension, though usually not until adulthood. A doctor may be able to hear a heart murmur during a regular examination and will order further tests to diagnose the problem. Small ASDs often close on their own, requiring no intervention. Larger holes may require cardiac catheterization or open-heart surgery.

Ventricular Septal Defects

• A ventricular septal defect (VSD) refers to a hole in the wall that separates the two lower heart chambers, the ventricles. A VSD forms while a baby is still in utero and may be due to genetic problems, although the cause is usually unknown. Infants with small holes may experience no symptoms while larger holes can cause rapid breathing, slow weight gain and fatigue, sweating or crying during feeding. A VSD is usually found during a routine check-up in the early weeks of a baby's life because the defect causes a distinctive heart murmur that a doctor can hear.

VSD Complications and Treatment

• An untreated VSD may eventually lead to an enlarged heart, pulmonary hypertension, or an infection of the inner surface of the heart called endocarditis. A small hole may close on its own or may remain open but need no treatment and create no health problems. Heart surgery and cardiac catheterization are treatment options for more severe VSDs . Treatment is usually done in the first three months of life to lessen the risk of further complications.