Symptoms of ventricular septal defect in newborns

The main symptoms of a newborn with a ventricular septal defect include heart murmurs, shortness of breath, difficulty feeding, and slow weight gain. The severity of the symptoms depends on the size and location of the defect. Parents should pay attention to these abnormalities and seek medical attention as soon as possible to prevent the condition from worsening.

1Heart murmur

The most typical sign of a ventricular septal defect in a newborn is a heart murmur on auscultation. This murmur is caused by an abnormal passage of blood through the ventricular septum and is usually discovered by doctors a few days to weeks after birth. The strength of the murmur is directly related to the size of the defect. Small defects are usually accompanied by a high-pitched and obvious murmur, while large defects may have a weaker murmur but may cause more serious problems. Auscultating a heart murmur is one of the earliest and most important findings.

2Shortness of breath or difficulty feeding

A larger ventricular septal defect can disrupt blood circulation, causing more blood to be squeezed into the lungs, causing congestion and rapid, rapid breathing. Newborns may become noticeably tired after daily activities such as crying or feeding. These infants feed intermittently, stop feeding, or struggle and are unable to finish feeding for a sufficient amount of time.

3. Growth retardation

Long-term feeding difficulties and increased energy consumption can lead to slow or stagnant weight gain and even growth retardation. This is the result of excessive heart burden and uneven energy distribution. In the case of poor medical conditions, this condition may continue to worsen and affect the healthy development of the body.

4 Severe symptoms

If the defect is not diagnosed and treated promptly, the infant may also show symptoms such as repeated respiratory infections, pale skin or cyanotic lips, purple hands and feet, etc., indicating possible heart failure or hypoxemia, which require high vigilance.

Treatment of a ventricular septal defect varies depending on the size of the defect and the severity of your symptoms:

Small defects usually do not require special treatment, and some may close on their own as they grow, but regular cardiac ultrasound monitoring is required;

Moderate defects can be treated with medications that reduce the workload on the heart, such as diuretics such as furosemide, vasodilators, or cardiotonic drugs such as digoxin.

Large defects or severe symptoms may require surgery, such as catheter repair or open-chest repair.

When a newborn is suspected of having a ventricular septal defect, the child should be taken to a pediatric cardiologist as soon as possible to make a clear diagnosis and develop a treatment plan to avoid further health risks.