Congenital heart disease history and symptoms
Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Associate Editor-In-Chief: Priyamvada Singh, MBBS [2], Keri Shafer, M.D. [3], Atif Mohammad, M.D.; Assistant Editor-In-Chief: Kristin Feeney, B.S. [4]; Kalsang Dolma, M.B.B.S.[5]
Overview
Patients with congenital heart disease may experience symptom onset during infancy, childhood and even latent symptoms in adulthood. Common symptoms include heart failure, cyanosis, pulmonary hypertension, chest pain, infective endocarditis, tachypnea, tachycardia, and cardiomegaly.
History
Maternal History
- Maternal diabetes increase the risk of neonatal congenital heart disease
- Maternal fever with rash
- Smoking in the first trimester
- Ingestion of drugs
- Assisted reproductive therapy
Family History
- History of congenital heart disease in first degree relative increases the risk by three fold
Symptoms
Most defects cause a whispering sound, or murmur, as blood moves through the heart causing some of these symptoms. All of these symptoms occur at a young age of a child or infant and are typically found during a physical examination.
- Chest pain
- Cyanosis
- Decreased urine output
- Dyspnea
- Excessive sweating
- Failure to thrive
- Heart failure
- Heart murmur
- Hemoptysis
- Hypoxic spells
- Impaired growth
- Poor feeding
- Squatting
- Syncope
- Underdeveloped limbs and muscles
References
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