Over 1.5 lakh infants are born with a birth defect in their heart every year in India

About 78,000 infants born with congenital heart disease in India die every year because of inadequate health care facilities in the country, experts said. 'Every year 1.5 lakh infants are born in India with congenital heart disease,' Dr Murtaza Chisti, chief cardiac surgeon of the Mahatma Gandhi Cardiac and Critical Care Centre told reporters after conducting a medical camp here today.

Due to lack of awareness, cases of congenital heart disease are on the rise in the country. 'Work-related tension coupled with lifestyle changes of young people and people in age group of 30 to 40 years make them susceptible to heart attacks,' he said. 'A controlled diet with minimal fatty and non-vegetarian food, non-consumption of sweets, coupled with adequate rest could reduce the incidence of heart problems, he said, adding that diabetes, high blood pressure, mental tension, increase in cholesterol were contributory causes for heart attacks.

Dr ML Swarankar, chairman of the India Education Trust, said that India had the dubious distinction of having the largest number of deaths in Asia owing to heart attack. More and well-equipped cardiac centres were needed to bring down the number, he added.

What is congenital heart disease (CHD)? How common is the condition in India?

According to a study published in the India Academy of Paediatrics ^[1], congenital heart disease is a condition seen in every 3.9 births per 1000 births in India. As described by Dr Amar Singhal, 'Congenital heart disease is a defect in the heart at the time of birth. It is the structural or functional malfunctioning of the heart that is caused during its formation. While in some cases these defects are caught right after birth, in some cases it may be reported later on in the child's life.'

How and why does it happen? Are there factors during a woman's pregnancy that lead to it?

According to Dr Amar Singhal, 'The cause of congenital heart disease is unknown, but it is believed that the defect occurs when there is some obstruction in the formation of the foetus' heart. The heart of the foetus is formed from a tube-like structure, around the fifth week of pregnancy. Any factor that stops this formation can lead to congenital heart disease.'

There are a number of things that can lead to this condition in a baby, including genetic predisposition, if the baby has Down 's syndrome, if the mother suffers from conditions like diabetes (type 1 and type 2, but not gestational diabetes), infections like rubella or flu, takes medication like anti-seizure medication, pain killers like ibuprofen, or anti acne medication. Other factors like smoking and drinking alcohol while pregnant, can also lead to this condition in a baby. (Read: 10 secrets to great heart health)

Is there anything that a mother can do during her pregnancy to help avoid this condition?

'She should avoid getting infections, smoking, alcohol and if she develops rubella syndrome, she should think about terminating the pregnancy. She should also ensure that she has a proper balanced diet, and gets regular checkups from her gynaecologist' advices Dr Amar.

What are the symptoms a parent should look out for?

The common symptoms a child may suffer from vary, but Dr Amar says that the common symptoms a parent should look out for are cyanosis (blue or purple appearance of the skin especially the lips, ears and mouth), increased respiratory rate or difficulty breathing, excessive sweating during feeding, not being able to suckle or not accepting feed and when the child becomes unconscious. (Read: My son had a heart problem when he was born. Will he develop normally?)

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