Fetal ventricular septal defects have a self-healing rate of about 30 to 50 percent. After a fetal ventricular septal defect occurs, it is usually better not to be nervous at first, and to monitor the condition closely. Because the heart is still developing during the fetal stage, some patients may be able to close their ventricular septal defects on their own after birth. Even if the ventricular septal defects do not close after birth and are still present, some patients may be able to re-close the defects on their own as time goes on. Overall, patients with smaller ventricular septal defects have a higher rate of self-healing, and those with larger defects have a lower rate of self-healing. Defects under 5 millimeters generally have a self-healing rate of about 50%, with most healing within a year. Of course, if the defect does not heal in more than a year, it is very unlikely that it will heal again. If a child has a ventricular septal defect, it is important to monitor the child closely and seek medical attention if there are any abnormalities.