About eight babies in every thousand are born with an abnormality of
the heart. In half of these the abnormality is minor and will not require any
treatment. However, some treatment, though not necessarily an operation,
will be required in about a quarter of the babies born with heart disease
during the first year of life. It is important to be sure about the nature and
severity of the baby’s heart problem so that if treatment is needed it can be
given at the right time.
It must be remembered that more than three-quarters of the babies
born each year with troubles that need investigating can be corrected by
modern surgery, and many more greatly improved if not corrected.