Common Congenital Heart Defects
Arrhythmias: abnormal heart rhythms.
Atrial Septal Defect (ASD): a hole in the wall between the two upper chambers (right and left atria) of the heart.
Coarctation of the aorta: a narrowing of the aorta, the body’s largest artery. Atrioventricular Canal: a defect consisting of two holes in the walls of the heart, one between the two atriums and another between the two ventricles. Patent ductus arteriosus: an opening between the aorta and pulmonary artery, which normally closes within a few hours of birth. Commonly seen in premature infants. Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome: a combination of defects in whichall structures on the heart’s left side (which receives oxygenated blood from the lungs and pumps it to the body) are severely underdeveloped. Aortic or Pulmonary Valve Stenosis: a narrowing of the aortic valve (which prevents blood from flowing backward from the aorta into the left ventricle) or of the pulmonary valve (which prevents blood from flowing backward from the pulmonary artery into the right ventricle). Single-Ventricle Defects: any of a number of heart defects in which only one of the two ventricles is adequately sized. Tetrology of Fallot: a constellation of four defects, including ventricular septal defect, a narrowed pulmonary valve, a thickened right ventricle, and a displaced aorta. Transposition of the Great Arteries: reversal of the normal connections of the aorta and the pulmonary artery to the heart. Truncus Arteriosus: a defect in which only one, instead of two, main blood vessels arise from the heart. Valve Defects:malformation of any of the heart’s valves. Ventricular Septal Defect (VSD): a hole in the wall between the two lower chambers (right and left ventricles).