Congenital heart defects (CHD) is a general term for structural abnormalities of the heart or its major blood vessels that are present at birth. The terms ‘congenital heart defects’ and ‘congenital heart disease’ are used interchangeably in clinical practice.
CHD encompasses a wide spectrum of abnormalities, from simple defects that require no treatment (such as small ventricular septal defects that often close spontaneously in childhood) to complex and life-threatening conditions requiring surgery in the neonatal period (such as hypoplastic left heart syndrome or complete transposition of the great arteries).
Congenital heart defects are the most common group of birth defects, affecting approximately 8 per 1,000 live births in the UK. With advances in surgical and catheter-based treatment over the past 40 years, the majority of people born with congenital heart defects now survive to adulthood and require lifelong specialist follow-up through adult congenital heart disease (ACHD) services.
For detailed information on specific congenital heart conditions and their relevance to sudden cardiac arrest risk, see Congenital Heart Disease.
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