Atrial Septal Defect

The heart has four chambers: the two upper chambers, called the atria, and the two lower chambers, called the ventricles. They are separated by walls of tissue. A wall between the two atria or the two ventricles is called a septum

What is an Atrial Septal Defect?

An atrial septal defect is a hole between the heart's two upper chambers, or the atria. Sometimes this is called a hole in the heart.

If you have an atrial septal defect for a long time, it can damage your heart and lungs and shorten your life if it is not repaired surgically. The defect may lead to heart failure or high blood pressure in the lungs.

Symptoms and Diagnosis

A baby may be born with an atrial septal defect and not show any symptoms. When the child becomes an adult, the effects of the defect often become evident when he or she is about 30. But, in some patients, symptoms may not appear until many years later.

Symptoms may include:

• Breathlessness, especially during exertion
• Fatigue
• Heart murmur, which is detected when the doctor hears a whooshing noise using a stethoscope in addition to the usual "lub-dub" sound
• Repeated lung infections
• Skin has a bluish tinge
• Skipped heartbeats or palpitations
• Stroke
• Swelling of the abdomen, legs, or feet

Diagnosis may be made by seeing the above symptoms in a patient. The doctor might order tests if he or she hears a murmur or suspects a defect because of other symptoms. These tests can include:

• Cardiac catheterization: This can tell the doctor what heart defects you had a birth, how well your heart is pumping, and allow him or her to see how well the heart valves are working.
• Chest X-ray: This allows the physician to see the status of your heart and lungs. It might enable the doctor to figure out what other problems you have that could explain your symptoms.
• Echocardiogram: This test uses sound waves to detect an atrial septal defect. The sound waves are transformed into video images of the heart that show the heart's chambers and can allow the doctor to determine how strong your heart is in pumping blood through it. It can show your heart in action.
• Electrocardiogram: This is a test of the heart's electrical activity and might help diagnose arrhythmias (abnormal heart beat patterns).
• Magnetic resonance imaging: This produces three-dimensional images of the heart. Sometimes it clarifies uncertain echocardiogram results.
• Pulse oximetry: This measures how much oxygen is in the blood and is reaching the body's tissues. It can help determine the kind of heart defect you have.

Causes of Atrial Septal Defects

The heart forms very early during fetal development. This critical time in the development of the heart can be influenced by both genetic and environmental factors. Heart defects seem to occur in families, indicating a genetic component.

If the mother has German measles during pregnancy, this can increase the risk of her baby having a heart defect. Alcohol and illegal drugs, such as cocaine, have been shown to cause congenital heart defects. In addition, studies have shown that some drugs, such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors can increase a newborn's risk of heart defects.

SSRI Antidepressants and Heart Defects

Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) have sometimes been associated with heart defects in the newborn. SSRIs are a class of antidepressants that include Zoloft®, Paxil®, Celexa®, Prozac®, Lexapro® and Symbyax®.

Heart defects in newborns have been linked to some SSRIs taken by women during the first trimester of their pregnancies, according to a Danish study. The study found that if a woman took more than one SSRI during her pregnancy her risk of having a baby with a congenital heart defect quadrupled.

The decision of whether to take an antidepressant during pregnancy is an important one that a woman should discuss with her doctor. Untreated depression during pregnancy also may have negative effects on the newborn as well as the mother.

If your baby is born with birth defects and you were given an SSRI during your pregnancy, you should speak with a birth defect lawyer about the possibility of seeking compensation for your baby's suffering. To learn more, please contact our birth defect lawyers today.