What causes ventricular septal defect in infants?

The causes of ventricular septal defects in infants may include genetic factors, environmental factors such as viral infection or drug exposure during maternal pregnancy, physiological factors such as abnormal fetal development, and other possible external influences, which are usually related to the failure of the heart structure to close normally during embryonic development.

1. Genetic factors

Ventricular septal defects in infants may be related to genetic gene mutations or chromosomal abnormalities. Some family histories of heart disease increase the risk of newborns suffering from ventricular septal defects. For example, if parents have congenital heart disease or similar cases in the family, offspring are more likely to have abnormalities during heart development. Some genetic syndromes such as Down syndrome and DiGeorge syndrome are also often accompanied by abnormal heart structure.

2 Environmental factors

Adverse environmental stimulation of the mother during pregnancy may affect the normal development of the fetus. For example, rubella virus infection may cause a variety of congenital malformations in the fetus, including ventricular septal defect. Long-term exposure to toxic chemicals such as pesticides and heavy metals during pregnancy or taking drugs that may have adverse effects on fetal development, such as certain anticonvulsants, are also considered risk factors. In addition, smoking, drinking, malnutrition and other problems during pregnancy can increase the probability of heart abnormalities.

3 Physiological factors

Fetal heart development during pregnancy is usually completed within 5-8 weeks of pregnancy. If the tissue of the ventricular septum fails to fully connect or be filled with enough cells during development, it may lead to a ventricular septal defect, forming a "hole". This is a problem caused by abnormal embryonic development, usually involving the failure of the heart's septum to close. According to statistics, small defects sometimes close naturally, but large defects may require therapeutic intervention.

4Chromosome or pathological factors

Some newborns may also have ventricular septal defects with other pathological factors or chromosomal abnormalities. Premature infants or infants with multiple organ malformations have a greater chance of having heart defects. If the abnormality is not detected before birth, it may be discovered during a physical examination after birth.

For ventricular septal defects, treatment options depend on the size of the defect and whether complications occur. If the defect is small and asymptomatic, some cases may heal on their own within a few months without treatment. If the defect is large, the following interventions are usually required:

1. Drug treatment

For people with mild to moderate disease who don't have severe symptoms, doctors may prescribe medications to relieve the heart's workload. For example, diuretics such as furosemide help reduce the heart's workload, and drugs that suppress heart failure such as digoxin help improve the heart's ability to pump blood.

2Surgery

Infants with large VSDs or who have symptoms of heart failure may need to have their VSD repaired with open-heart surgery. Surgery is usually done when infants are about 6 months to 1 year old to repair the defect and restore the normal path of blood circulation.

3Interventional occlusion

Some patients with good fitness indicators may undergo interventional closure. This is a minimally invasive treatment method that closes the defect by implanting an occluder in the blood vessel. It is usually suitable for larger ventricular septal defects and the patient's health status allows the operation.

The occurrence of ventricular septal defect in infants is usually the result of multiple factors, and diagnosis and treatment are particularly important. If you find that your baby is crying, easily tired, has shortness of breath, slow growth and development, etc., you should take him to the doctor in time to seek professional diagnosis and treatment advice.