The most common form of heart disease in newborns is a hole in the ventricular septum – the thin dividing wall between the right and left ventricles (pumping chambers). About four weeks after birth, blood will “shunt” from left to right through the hole and the oxygenated blood will flow to the lungs instead of to the body. Symptoms include breathlessness, particularly during feeding. In some cases, the hole seals spontaneously, but if it doesn’t, an operation will be necessary.
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