The word “congenital” means “from birth”, and when applied to heart
disease, means that the baby has been born with something wrong with the
function of the heart, or the way it is formed, which will affect the way it works.
The heart is formed in the very early weeks of pregnancy and it is during this
time that the way it is formed may go wrong. However, it should be remembered
that many of the abnormalities are very slight.