Life expectancy of babies with congenital heart disease

The life expectancy of infants with congenital heart disease varies depending on the type and severity of the disease and the timeliness of treatment. In severe cases without intervention, it may be only a few months to a few years. Most children treated with modern medicine can survive for a long time and even reach the normal life expectancy.

Congenital heart disease is caused by abnormal cardiac structure or function in the early fetal development. Possible causes range from genetic factors to environmental influences, such as family inheritance, infection during pregnancy (such as rubella virus) or maternal malnutrition. In terms of specific diseases, mild defects such as atrial septal defect and ventricular septal defect have little effect on life expectancy if the defect is small, and sometimes they can close on their own; moderate defects such as tetralogy of Fallot and complete transposition of the great arteries require timely surgery; severe and complex heart malformations such as hypoplastic left heart syndrome, the survival rate depends on multi-stage surgery and the quality of subsequent care. It should be noted that untreated severe children may die in infancy or early childhood due to complications such as heart failure and pulmonary hypertension, but the development of modern medicine has enabled more than 99% of patients to survive into adulthood or even old age.

Congenital heart disease is caused by abnormal cardiac structure or function in the early fetal development. Possible causes range from genetic factors to environmental influences, such as family inheritance, infection during pregnancy (such as rubella virus) or maternal malnutrition. In terms of specific diseases, mild defects such as atrial septal defect and ventricular septal defect have little effect on life expectancy if the defect is small, and sometimes they can close on their own; moderate defects such as tetralogy of Fallot and complete transposition of the great arteries require timely surgery; severe and complex heart malformations such as hypoplastic left heart syndrome, the survival rate depends on multi-stage surgery and the quality of subsequent care. It should be noted that untreated severe children may die in infancy or early childhood due to complications such as heart failure and pulmonary hypertension, but the development of modern medicine has enabled more than 99% of patients to survive into adulthood or even old age.

The key to longevity lies in early diagnosis, standardized treatment and continuous health management. If heart disease is confirmed, newborns need to undergo cardiac ultrasound and other evaluations, and actively communicate with cardiologists. Mild patients are usually resolved through follow-up, and moderate to severe patients choose appropriate treatment methods. Surgery such as interventional therapy to repair heart defects (such as occlusion), cardiac surgery (such as Fontan surgery) or heart transplantation can significantly prolong life and ensure stable condition. After surgery, more attention should be paid to daily tracking, regular heart function tests, and appropriate exercise and lifestyle adjustments according to the doctor's advice to avoid risks such as infection, thereby further improving the quality of life and survival period.