Congenital heart defects, also called congenital heart disease, are structural abnormalities of the heart or the great vessels that are present at birth, arising from disrupted cardiac development during fetal life. They constitute the most common category of major birth defect and range from minor lesions with litt…
Congenital heart defects, also called congenital heart disease, are structural abnormalities of the heart or the great vessels that are present at birth, arising from disrupted cardiac development during fetal life. They constitute the most common category of major birth defect and range from minor lesions with little hemodynamic consequence to complex malformations that are life-threatening and require early intervention. The defects are commonly grouped by their physiological effect: those that allow abnormal mixing or shunting of blood, such as septal defects, those that obstruct flow, such as valvular or great-vessel narrowing, and complex anomalies that combine multiple lesions or abnormal connections, including conditions affecting valve formation. Some occur in isolation while others form part of recognized genetic syndromes. Clinical concerns span prevalence and detection in neonates, prenatal and postnatal diagnosis, and the long-term cardiovascular trajectory of affected individuals, including how exercise capacity and acquired risk factors evolve over time. Diagnosis relies on clinical examination, echocardiography, and advanced imaging, while management ranges from observation to catheter-based procedures, including the use of occluder devices, and surgical repair. Because survivors increasingly reach adulthood, ongoing care addresses residual lesions, arrhythmias, and the interaction of congenital disease with pregnancy and other cardiovascular conditions. The study of congenital heart defects thus integrates developmental biology, epidemiology, imaging, and lifelong clinical management within cardiology.
10 peer-reviewed articles, ranked by relevance. Each links to its DOI.
The 10 articles above have been cited 51 times in the scholarly literature. Citation data via OpenAlex and Crossref, updated Jun 2026.
A sample of recent works citing this journal's research on Congenital Heart Defects, linking to each citing work.