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Attention, chocolate lovers: You may not be able to help yourselves. Swiss and British scientists have linked the widespread love of chocolate to a chemical "signature" that may be programmed into our metabolic systems.
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Congenital Heart Defects - Congenital Heart Disease

Overview, Causes, & Risk Factors

Congenital heart disease, also known as CHD, is any birth defect which affects the heart or the large blood vessels. Congenital means that the defect is present at birth.

What is going on in the body?

There are many different birth defects that can affect the heart. For example, the valves of the heart may be missing or not work properly. In other cases, there may be holes in the walls of the heart or abnormal connections between blood vessels and the heart. The defects may be mild and cause no problems. Or they may be life threatening and require surgery hours after birth. Some common congenital heart defects include:

atrial septal defect, which is an abnormal opening between the two upper chambers of the heart

ventricular septal defect, which is an abnormal opening between the two lower chambers of the heart

tetralogy of Fallot, which is a set of four typical heart abnormalities

coarctation of the aorta, which is a narrowing of the aorta

pulmonary atresia, which is an abnormality of the opening between the heart and the arteries to the lungs

patent ductus arteriosus, which is an abnormal opening between the aorta and the artery to the lung

transposition of the great vessels, which is a switch in the normal positions of the aorta and the artery to the lung

What are the causes and risks of the disease?

Many times the cause of CHD is unknown. Known causes of CHD include:

alcohol and drug abuse by a mother during pregnancy

certain medicines used by a mother during pregnancy such as those used to treat seizures

diseases affecting the mother, such as diabetes

genetic, inherited, or chromosomal defects such as those that occur with Down syndrome

viral infections of the fetus during pregnancy, especially rubella

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