Congenital Heart Disease in the Newborn: A Literature Review and Case Report

Abstract

Critical congenital heart diseases are important causes of mortality and morbidity in the neonatal period. Even after diagnosis, its management can be seriously compromised by unplanned delivery in hospitals with limited experience and resources. The newborn can spend days or weeks before transport, placing a significant burden on the neonatal team to deal with these challenging illnesses. In this review, the management principles of each individual pathology are discussed prior to transport to cardiac centers. Until transport can be accomplished in a matter of hours, neonatologists and pediatricians need to master the essential principles of managing these conditions in the pre-transport setting. Although understanding the hemodynamics in several critical congenital heart diseases is a difficult task and requires a trained professional, the practical concepts in its management before surgery are simple and can be mastered by the neonatologist and the pediatrician with minimal effort.