Congenital heart disease used to be a pediatric condition, but with advances in diagnosis and heart care treatments, more and more children with congenital heart disease are living into adulthood. Now, adults with congenital heart disease outnumber children.
People with congenital heart disease need ongoing care, including regular check-ups, and sometimes medications, surgery or even, in some serious conditions, a heart transplant. Some common forms of congenital heart disease include bicuspid aortic valves, holes in the heart, valve irregularities and septal defects.
Congenital heart disease also can affect other parts of your body, including your lungs, your kidneys and your reproductive organs. Congenital heart disease can be inherited, occur with genetic conditions, or happen randomly.