What Are the Signs and Symptoms of Ventricular Septal Defects?
A heart murmur usually is present in ventricular septal defect (VSD), and it may be the first and only sign of this defect. Heart murmurs often are present right after birth in many infants. However, the murmurs may not be heard until the babies are 6 to 8 weeks old. Most newborns who have VSDs don’t have heart-related symptoms. However, babies who have medium or large VSDs can develop heart failure. Signs and symptoms of heart failure usually occur during the baby’s first 2 months of life. The signs and symptoms of heart failure from VSD are similar to those listed above for ASD, but they occur in infancy. A major sign of heart failure in infancy is difficulty feeding and poor growth. VSD signs and symptoms are rare after infancy because the defect either decreases in size on its own or is repaired.
