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Dr. Dennis W. Kim, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, describes the efforts of pediatric cardiologists and developments in the field that help children with congenital heart disease lead normal lives.

Congenital heart disease refers to problems of the heart and major arteries that are present at birth. Those problems can relate to:

• Heart structure, such as abnormal openings in heart walls
• Irregular heart rhythm
• Heart muscle deterioration

While heart defect is the most common birth defect, affecting one in every 100 newborns, the chance of survival is high. Advances in interventional cardiology have played an important role in increased survival rates.

Types of congenital heart disease include

• Atrial Septal Defect
• Ventricular Septal Defect
• Atrioventricular Septal Defect
• Persistent Ductus Arteriosus
• Coarctation of the Aorta/Interrupted Aortic Arch
• Vascular Ring
• Anomalous Coronary Arteries
• Anomalous Pulmonary Venous Return
• Tricuspid Atresia
• Pulmonary Stenosis
• Pulmonary Atresia
  • with Intact Ventricular Septum
  • with Ventricular Septal Defect
• Tetralogy of Fallot
• Truncus Arteriosus
• D-Transposition of the Great Arteries
• Ebstein's Anomaly
• Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome
• Aortic Stenosis/Bicuspid Aortic Valve
• L-Transposition of the Great Arteries