Focus on Congenital Heart Disease
February 2008
By Wayne J. Franklin, MD, Medical Director, Texas Adult Congenital Heart Center, and Assistant Professor
of Medicine and Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine
Congenital heart disease, or heart defects present at birth, are the most common type of birth defect in the
U.S., affecting 8 out of 1,000 babies born each year. Before the 1940s, the mortality rate of those born with
congenital heart disease was extremely high. These young patients frequently died before their first birthday.
Today, thanks to advances in cardiac surgery and cardiology care, more than 85 percent of children born with
congenital heart disease survive into adulthood. As a result, there are now more than 1 million adult
congenital heart patients living in the U.S., all with unique medical needs that grow more complex as they
age.
Below, Dr. Wayne Franklin, medical director of the Texas Adult Congenital Heart Disease (TACH) Center
and assistant professor of Medicine and Pediatrics at Baylor College of Medicine, talks about this disease,
the need for specialized care for this burgeoning population, and the broader need for improved heart health
among our nation’s children.
Q.: What causes congenital heart defects?
A.: Congenital heart defects can result from improper development of the heart during fetal life. While
genetics and environmental factors may play a role in some cases, these defects are generally sporadic.
Q.: Can testing be performed during pregnancy to predict congenital heart disease?
A.: Normal fetal ultrasounds can typically detect major heart problems in the fetus, which would require a
complete evaluation of the baby’s heart by a pediatric cardiologist trained in fetal echocardiography.
Through early detection, we can all work together – the pediatric cardiologists, surgeons and the mother’s
obstetrician – to manage the baby’s health and, when warranted, provide critical treatment immediately
after birth, improving outcomes.
Q.: Are co