Broken hearts

A congenital abnormality of the heart's structure, which is present at birth, originates from the stage in early pregnancy when the heart is forming. It can affect any of the different parts or functions of the heart. These can range from mild disorders such as 'holes' between chambers of the heart, to severe disorders such as complete absence of one or more chambers or valves. In fact, some defects can be so minor that they remain undetected for many years after birth. Defects may be due to abnormal foetal development of the heart during pregnancy and therefore the cause is usually un...