Heart & Cardiovascular


Ventricular septal defect (VSD)


By I.K. (staff writer) , published on October 23, 2020



Medicine Telehealth Health Heart & Cardiovascular VSD Ventricular septal defect


 

Ventricular septal defect (VSD), a hole in the heart, is a typical cardiac defect that is present at birth (congenital). The hole (defect) arises in the wall (septum) that divides the lower chambers of the heart (ventricles) and allows blood to flow from the left to the right side of the heart. Oxygen-rich blood is then pumped back into the lungs instead of out of the body, causing the heart to function harder.

There should be no complications with a small ventricular septal defect, and several small VSDs close on their own. Medium or larger VSDs can need to be fixed early in life to avoid complications.

 

Causes

Congenital heart defects result from complications early in the development of the heart, although there is also no apparent cause. Genetics and environmental influences may have a role to play. VSDs can occur alone or with other congenital heart defects. During fetal development, a ventricular septal defect develops when the muscular wall dividing the heart from the left and right sides (septum) does not completely develop between the lower chambers of the heart (ventricles).

Usually, the right side of the heart delivers blood to the lungs for oxygen; the left side pumps oxygen-rich blood to the rest of the body. VSD causes oxygenated blood to be mixed with deoxygenated blood, making the heart work harder to supply adequate oxygen to the body 's tissues.

 

Symptoms

Signs and symptoms of severe heart defects often occur in the first few days, weeks or months of a child's life.

Ventricular septal defect (VSD) symptoms in a child can include:

  • Poor eating, failure to thrive
  • Fast breathing or breathlessness
  • Easy tiring
  • Loss of weight

You and your doctor may not find any symptoms of a ventricular septal defect at birth. If the defect is minimal, signs cannot occur until later in childhood — if at all. Signs and signs differ depending on the severity of the hole and other possible cardiac disorders.

 

Prevention

In most cases, you can't do anything to protect a baby from developing a ventricular septal defect. However, it is important to do everything necessary to have a healthy pregnancy. Here are the basics of this:

Get right early prenatal treatment before you get pregnant. Speak to your doctor before you get pregnant about your health and consider any lifestyle changes that your doctor can suggest for a healthier pregnancy. Also, make sure to speak to a doctor about the prescriptions you are taking.

Eat a well-balanced diet. Include a vitamin supplement containing folic acid. Limit caffeine, too.

Have your diabetes under control. If you have diabetes, consult with the doctor to make sure that it is well-controlled before you get pregnant.

If you have a family history of heart problems or other genetic abnormalities, try talking to a genetic counsellor before you get pregnant.

 

References

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK470330/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4316658/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3815726/




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