About 25% of CHDs require surgical management which are of two types,one is closed heart operation where heart is not opened or stopped. The other one is open heat surgery where heart is stopped using a bypass machine (also known as heart lung machine) and heart is opened to repair the defects which are inside the heart.

• Congenital heart disease are the defect occurs during the formation of heart in the mother’s womb.
• About 1 in 100 children have heart disease
• It is estimated that every year around 1,30,000 to 2,70,000 children are born with congenital heart defects.
• The cause of CHD in mostly unknown.Only in about 10-20% case it is related to genetic conditions. Most CHDs in caused by combination of genes and maternal and environmental risk factors.
  Maternal risk factors include advanced age of pregnancy, diabetes,smoking,vitamin deficiency and certain viral illness like rubella infection during pregnancy.
• CHDs are not hereditary in real sense.If the father, mother or sibling has a CHD, the chance of disease to a new born baby will increase 3 times.
• Early diagnosis and timely treatment can cure many of the congenital heart defects.
  About 25% of CHDs require surgical management which are of two types,one is closed heart operation where heart is not opened or stopped. The other one is open heat surgery where heart is stopped using a bypass machine (also known as heart lung machine) and heart is opened to repair the defects which are inside the heart.
• Survival rates for children with congenital heart defects were low in past decades.But now the situation has changed. Now a days children with heart defects can survive long life,many of the defects can be cured permanently. only a small percentage of CHDs require re surgery or interventions and such children can have exercise intolerance, rhythm problems, heart failure and stroke.
• After surgical correction of CHDs most of the children can have active life. They can be at par with normal children in academics and sports.
• With advance in treatment of CHDs,there are significant number of children are going into adulthood.
  Adult congenital heart disease require lifelong care.
• For most adult CHD patient, successful pregnancy is possible. Since there are significant risks involved both to the mother and child, It should always closely monitored by the cardiologist.
  The earliest a heart defect can be picked up is by an ultrasound called foetal echo done before birth, ideally 18-22 weeks of pregnancy.
• Treatment of CHD is financial and emotional burden to the parents. The cost of treatment of CHD is related to seriousness and the age of the child and the materials used for the operation.Several government and NGOs are now being slowly made available for financial support to such families