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Heart defects and diseases

This page contains information on the most common heart defects and inherited heart diseases.

What is a Congenital Heart Defect?

In Finland approximately 500 children with congenital heart defects are born each year. Children’s heart diseases are mostly structural defects. It is estimated that approximately 1 % of all infants born each year have a heart defect. Structural heart defects are amongst the most commons anomalies of any singular organ of a human being. Heart defects can also be associated with certain syndromes, such as Down Syndrome or 22q11.2 deletion syndrome. However, most children with heart defects do not have any additional structural defects.

The heart of a fetus develops during the first seven weeks of pregnancy. The development of a heart is an extremely complex series of events. If the development is interrupted for some reason, this may result in a structural deformation of the heart. The reasons for the interruption in the developmental period are yet unknown by medical science. It has been suggested that a combination of several factors may contribute to the development of a heart defect – including sheer coincidence. In addition, hereditary factors, some medication or disease, such as German measles suffered during pregnancy, may cause heart defects.

As the reasons for the development of a heart defect are unknown in most cases, parents of a child may easily blame themselves for it. Although it is an understandable reaction, it is also totally unnecessary – the actions of the parents cannot be pointed out as the determinative factors behind congenital heart defects.

The most common heart diseases

Selaa osioita

Pulmonary atresia with intact ventricular septum, PA+IVS > Pulmonary Atresia with Ventricular Septal Defect, PA + VSD > Truncus arteriosus communis, TAC > Transposition of the Great Arteries, TGA > Tetralogy of Fallot, TOF > Coarctation of the Aorta, COA > Aortic Stenosis, AS > Pulmonary Stenosis, PS > Atrioventricular Septal Defect, AVSD > Patent ductus arteriosus, PDA > Atrial Septal Defect, ASD > Ventricular Septal Defect, VSD > Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome, HLHS >

When a heart defect is detected during pregnancy

Thanks to advanced diagnostic methods, the number of heart defects diagnosed during pregnancy has increased. A prenatal diagnosis improves the prognosis for the unborn child. It allows for, among other things, the pre-planning of procedures and, in some cases, even the initiation of treatment during the fetal stage. It is also beneficial for parents to have time to prepare for the situation and to receive information about the impact of the heart defect on life, both from a medical perspective and through shared experiences.

Fetal circulation

Fetal Screenings

In Finland municipalities offer pregnant women the opportunity to participate in fetal screenings, such as ultrasound examinations and/or blood screenings.

If an abnormal result is found in the screenings, the family will be guided to further investigations