Hugo Winstead

Congenital Heart Defects: Assessment and Management Hugo Winstead

A congenital heart defect (CHD) refers to a congenital anomaly in the structure of the heart. It may manifest as abnormalities in the heart valves, the interior walls of the heart, and the large blood vessels that lead from and to the heart. The symptoms include poor weight gain, rapid breathing, feeling of exhaustion and bluish skin. It may be caused due to infections during pregnancy, use of certain drugs or medications, obesity or poor nutritional status in the mother and parents being closely related. CHDs can be classified into two main groups- cyanotic and non-cyanotic heart defects. Genetic conditions such as Down syndrome, Marfan syndrome and Turner syndrome are associated with such heart defects. Most CHDs can be diagnosed prenatally using fetal echocardiography. In other cases, the diagnosis can be made shortly after birth or sometimes several months and years after birth. A CHD is generally serious and requires surgery, medications or a combination of both. Most individuals with CHDs need specialized care throughout their lifetime. This book is compiled in such a manner, that it will provide in-depth knowledge about the assessment and management of congenital heart defects. It aims to present researches that have transformed the field of cardiology and aided its advancement. With state-of-the-art inputs by acclaimed experts of this field, this book targets students and professionals.