A ventricular septal defect is a type of congenital heart disease. Congenital heart disease refers to heart problems a baby is born with. These heart problems are usually diagnosed at or before birth.

The heart is a muscular pump with four chambers. The two bottom chambers—the left ventricle and the right ventricle—are separated by a wall of tissue called a septum. A ventricular septal defect is a hole in this wall.

A very small hole may not cause problems. It may close on its own.

When the hole is large, some of the blood may flow through it from the left ventricle to the right ventricle. So the heart may pump too much blood to the lungs. Over time, this can damage the lungs and weaken the heart.

If the hole is large and the heart has to work too hard, a baby may have symptoms, such as:

• Fast breathing.
• Sweating while feeding.
• Not eating well.
• Trouble gaining weight.

Your doctor may hear abnormal heart sounds, such as a heart murmur, when examining your newborn.

Your doctor will order tests to find the cause of abnormal sounds or of symptoms. The most common test used to identify this problem is called an echocardiogram, or "echo" for short. It uses sound waves to make an image of your baby's heart.

Other tests, such as an EKG (electrocardiogram), chest X-ray, and checking the amount of oxygen in the blood, also help identify the problem.

A fetal ultrasound, which looks at the baby's heart, may find this problem before birth.

A baby may not need treatment to close the hole if it is small and not likely to cause symptoms or problems. Sometimes a small hole will close over time.

If the hole is larger or starts causing symptoms, your doctor may suggest a procedure or surgery to close the hole.

Your doctor will explain what symptoms to watch for at home. Regular checkups will help your doctor watch your baby for symptoms over time.