Atrial septal defect causes
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Atrial Septal Defect Microchapters | |
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Treatment | |
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Surgery | |
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Atrial septal defect causes On the Web | |
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American Roentgen Ray Society Images of Atrial septal defect causes | |
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Risk calculators and risk factors for Atrial septal defect causes | |
Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1] Claudia Hochberg, M.D.
Associate Editors-In-Chief: Cafer Zorkun, M.D., Ph.D. [2]; Keri Shafer, M.D. [3]; Priyamvada Singh, MBBS [[4]]
Assistant Editor-In-Chief: Kristin Feeney, B.S. [[5]]
Causes
The cause of atrial septal defects is not known. There does appear to be a genetic component to the disease as it often occurs in patients with Down syndrome. As a parent, if you or a sibling of a child have a congenital heart defect, then you should consider genetic counseling.
If the mother contracts rubella (german measles) during pregnancy, this can increase the risk of congenital heart disease. In one study, exposure to alcohol during pregnancy doubled the risk of an atrial septal defect[1]. More details about the genetics and embryology of atrial septal defects can be found in the microchapters below: