Tricuspid atresia is a heart defect present at birth (congenital) in which one of the valves (tricuspid valve) between two of the heart's chambers isn't formed. Instead, there's solid tissue between the chambers.
If your baby is born with tricuspid atresia, blood can't flow through the heart and into the lungs to pick up oxygen as it normally would. The result is the lungs can't supply the rest of your baby's body with the oxygen it needs. Babies with tricuspid atresia tire easily, are often short of breath and have blue-tinged skin.
Tricuspid atresia is treated with surgery. Most babies with tricuspid atresia who have surgery will live well into adulthood, though follow-up surgeries are often needed.
Source: http://www.mayoclinic.com
Tricuspid atresia symptoms become evident soon after birth, and can include:
Some babies with tricuspid atresia may also develop symptoms of heart failure, including:
Tell your doctor if you notice any of the above symptoms in your child.
Source: http://www.mayoclinic.com
Tricuspid atresia occurs during fetal growth when your baby's heart is developing. While some factors, such as heredity or Down syndrome, may increase your baby's risk of congenital heart defects, such as tricuspid atresia, the cause of congenital heart disease is unknown in most cases.
Your heart is divided into four chambers, two on the right and two on the left. In performing its basic job — pumping blood throughout the body — your heart uses its left and right sides for different tasks. The right side moves blood to the lungs. In your lungs, oxygen enriches the blood, which then circulates to your heart's left side. The left side of the heart pumps blood into a large vessel called the aorta, which circulates the oxygen-rich blood to the rest of your body. Valves control the flow of blood into and out of the chambers of your heart. These valves open to allow blood to move to the next chamber or to one of the arteries, and they close to keep blood from flowing backward.
In tricuspid atresia, the right side of the heart can't properly pump blood to the lungs because the tricuspid valve, located between the upper right chamber (atrium) and the lower right chamber (ventricle), is missing. Instead, a solid sheet of tissue blocks the flow of blood from the right atrium to the right ventricle. As a result, the right ventricle is usually very small and underdeveloped (hypoplastic).
Blood instead flows from the upper right chamber to the upper left chamber through a hole in the wall between them (septum). This hole is either a heart defect (atrial septal defect) or an enlarged natural opening (foramen ovale) that is supposed to close soon after birth. If a baby with tricuspid atresia doesn't have an atrial septal defect, the baby may need a procedure to create this opening.
Once the blood flows from the right atrium to the left atrium, the heart's left side must pump blood both to the rest of the body and to the lungs. The blood reaches the lungs from the left side of the heart through another natural opening between the right and left sides (ductus arteriosus) that is supposed to close soon after birth. When necessary, this passageway is kept open using medication in babies with tricuspid atresia.
Some babies with tricuspid atresia have another heart defect — a hole between the lower two chambers (ventricular septal defect). In these cases, blood can flow through the hole and into the right ventricle, which pumps it to the lungs.
Source: http://www.mayoclinic.com
Because of advances in ultrasound technology, it's possible for a baby to be diagnosed with tricuspid atresia before he or she is born. Doctors can identify the condition on a routine ultrasound exam during gestation.
After your baby is born, his or her doctor may suspect a heart defect, such as tricuspid atresia, if your baby has blue-tinged skin or is having trouble breathing. Your baby's doctor may also suspect a heart defect if he or she hears a heart murmur — an abnormal whooshing sound caused by turbulent blood flow.
Doctors typically use an echocardiogram to diagnose tricuspid atresia. This test uses sound waves that bounce off your baby's heart to produce moving images your baby's doctor can view on a video screen.
In a baby with tricuspid atresia, the echocardiogram reveals the absence of a tricuspid valve and a smaller than normal right ventricle. Because this test tracks blood flow, it can also measure the amount of blood moving through holes in the walls between the right and left sides of the heart. In addition, an echocardiogram can identify associated heart defects, such as an atrial septal defect or a ventricular septal defect.
Source: http://www.mayoclinic.com
The most significant complication of tricuspid atresia is a lack of oxygen to your baby's tissues (hypoxemia). This can be life-threatening.
Although treatment greatly improves the outcome for babies with tricuspid atresia, they may still have the following complications later in life, even after surgery:
Source: http://www.mayoclinic.com
In most cases, congenital heart defects, such as tricuspid atresia, can't be prevented. If you have a family history of heart defects or if you already have a child with a congenital heart defect, a genetic counselor and a cardiologist experienced in congenital heart defects can help you look at possible risks associated with future pregnancies.
Some steps you can take that might reduce your baby's risk of heart and other birth defects in pregnancy include:
Source: http://www.mayoclinic.com
If your baby's born with tricuspid atresia, it may seem that almost all your time is spent at the hospital or at a doctor's office. But there will be time spent at home, as well. Here are some tips for caring for your child at home.
Source: http://www.mayoclinic.com
Caring for a baby with a serious heart problem, such as tricuspid atresia, can be challenging and stressful. Here are some strategies that may help make it easier:
Although every circumstance is different, remember that many children with congenital heart defects, such as tricuspid atresia, grow up to lead enjoyable lives.
Source: http://www.mayoclinic.com
In most cases, the exact cause of a congenital heart defect, such as tricuspid atresia, is unknown, but several factors may increase the risk of a baby being born with this condition:
Source: http://www.mayoclinic.com
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