What heart diseases afflict children?
Approximately one in 10 or 12 children are born with a congenital heart defect. Congenital heart defects include a number of conditions. There are hundreds of types and making a precise diagnosis is sometimes quite challenging. The common heart defects include: • Holes or communications in the heart or great vessels: Examples of such holes in the heart include: atrial septal defect (ASD), ventricular septal defect (VSD), patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) • Conditions resulting in the child becoming a blue baby: These conditions are also known as cyanotic heart defects. Common examples include tetralogy of Fallot’s (TOF) and transposition (TGA). • Congenital narrowing of heart valves or vessels: Examples include congenital narrowing of the pulmonary or aortic valve. Thirty percent of congenital heart defects are potentially life threatening early in life require and attention in infancy. Rheumatic heart disease continues to afflict large numbers of school-going children and young adults in
