Nearly one out of every 100 babies is born with some form of heart defect, making congenital heart disease the single most common form of birth defect.
Pediatric cardiologists at The Children’s Hospital at Saint Francis have made great strides in diagnosing congenital heart disease in children, as well as in perfecting the surgical repair of these defects. New therapies and technologies available at The Children’s Hospital at Saint Francis designed especially for children continue to improve the outcomes for children born with a congenital heart defect or who acquire a heart condition as they are growing up.
Common types of congenital heart disease in children include:
- Atrial and ventricular septal defects (holes in the heart which affect the blood supply out of the heart)
- Patent ductus arteriosus (a common defect in premature infants which occurs when blood flows between the aorta and the pulmonary artery through an open passageway which normally closes within a few hours of birth)
- Pulmonary, aortic and subaortic stenosis and coarctation of the aorta (obstructions which restrict blood supply to the rest of the body)
- Tetralogy of Fallot (a rare condition caused by a combination of four heart defects that are present at birth)
- Common acquired diseases including:
- Cardiomyopathy (heart muscle abnormalities)
- Viral myocarditis
- Arrhythmias
Tests available at The Children’s Hospital at Saint Francis to diagnose pediatric heart problems include: