Patient's question:
My baby was taken to the hospital on the 12th day after birth due to coughing and was diagnosed with neonatal pneumonia, with a heart murmur; an echocardiogram was then performed. On the 16th day, a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) confirmed the following: There were two continuous interruptions in the middle of the interatrial septum, with one hole measuring 1.6mm in size. Color flow imaging showed: Left-to-right shunt at the atrial level, length 1.3mm, area 0.6cm2, volume 0.3ml, Vmax: 82cm/s, PG: 2.8mmHg. Other findings were normal. I am very anxious to know the severity and extent of the condition. What are the symptoms of a neonatal atrial septal defect?Doctor's answer:
Atrial septal defect is a congenital malformation caused by incomplete development of the interatrial septum and the resulting scar, which allows blood to connect between the left and right atria. It is the most common type of inflammation among congenital heart diseases. Atrial septal defect is more common in females, with a prevalence ratio of approximately 2:1 compared to males. Even if the child shows no obvious symptoms, surgical treatment should be performed. Surgical treatment for atrial septal defect has achieved good results, with postoperative children developing normally and being able to engage in normal work and labor. The surgical mortality rate has dropped below 1%.