Heart condition that allows blood to shunt between the left and right ventricles through an opening in the septum

Most common congenital heart disorder

Coexists with additional birth defects, especially Down syndrome and other autosomal trisomies, renal anomalies, and cardiac defects, such as patent ductus arteriosus and coarctation of the aorta

Affects 2% to 7% of live births; slightly more common in females

Also known as VSD

Ventricular septum fails to close completely by the 8th week of gestation, as it would normally.

VSDs are located in the membranous or muscular portion of the ventricular septum and vary in size.

Some defects close spontaneously; in other defects, the entire septum is absent, creating a single ventricle.

Large VSD shunt eventually causes biventricular heart failure and cyanosis.

VSD isn’t readily apparent at birth because right and left ventricular pressures appear approximately equal, so blood doesn’t shunt through the defect.

As pulmonary vasculature relaxes (between 4 and 8 weeks after birth) right ventricular pressure decreases, allowing blood to shunt from the left to the right ventricle.

Congenital defect

Dyspnea

Cyanosis

Slow weight gain

Feeding difficulties