What happens if a newborn has severe ventricular septal defect?

If the ventricular septal defect in a newborn is severe, it may lead to complications such as cardiac dysfunction, heart failure, and pulmonary hypertension, which require timely intervention and treatment, including surgical repair and drug control. Early diagnosis and treatment are key to avoid worsening of the disease.

1What is ventricular septal defect and its severity

Ventricular septal defect is one of the most common congenital heart diseases in newborns. It refers to a defect in the wall between the left and right ventricles of the heart. In mild cases, there may be no obvious symptoms, but if the defect is large, it may cause abnormal blood flow between the ventricles and increase the burden on the heart and lungs. In severe cases, newborns may experience shortness of breath, difficulty feeding, slow weight gain, and even heart failure.

2Complications that may occur with severe ventricular septal defect

Heart failure: As a large amount of blood flows from the left ventricle to the right ventricle, the heart's workload increases significantly, and myocardial fatigue may lead to heart failure.

Pulmonary hypertension: Long-term abnormal blood flow can lead to increased pulmonary vascular pressure, increase the burden on the lungs, and in severe cases cause irreversible lung disease.

Infective endocarditis: Structural abnormalities in the heart increase the risk of certain bacterial infections, which can further worsen health conditions.

3 Treatment and intervention methods

Drug treatment: For patients with mild defects and mild symptoms, doctors may prescribe drugs such as digoxin and diuretics to help improve heart function and relieve symptoms.

Surgical repair: For severe defects, surgery or minimally invasive interventional occlusion is often required to correct the abnormality and ensure normal blood flow to the heart; such as conventional open-chest repair, transcatheter occlusion, etc.

Nursing and infection prevention: Newborns have weak immunity, so they need to maintain heart health and prevent infection risks after surgery, ensure nutritional intake and adequate rest, and strengthen prevention of respiratory diseases.

Severe ventricular septal defects in newborns require early intervention to avoid hindering normal development. Seeking help from a professional cardiologist in a timely manner and choosing treatment methods according to the doctor's instructions can effectively improve the condition and ensure the healthy growth of the baby.