”How can a child have congenital heart disease when I am fine and the mother is fine? The embryonic heart begins to develop in the early stages of gestation and is fully grown by the third trimester. Any abnormality in the development of the heart during this important period can result in congenital heart disease, or even more than one congenital heart disease. If a pregnant woman develops measles or some other infection early in pregnancy, the development of the embryo may be abnormal. In most cases, however, the cause of the abnormality is unknown. Abnormalities can also occur if the child has a genetic defect. Genetic disorders include Down’s syndrome and Marfan’s syndrome. Marfan’s syndrome is a disease in which the protein fibers of the blood vessels and heart valve forces collapse. This disease causes weakness of the heart valves – especially the aortic and mitral valves – and the aorta. Children with this disease will grow tall and thin. The lens of the eye may also be displaced. However, the greatest health risk of the disease is the possibility of partial rupture (separation) of the aorta at any age. The severity of Marfan’s syndrome varies widely. However, in some cases, patients are still able to lead normal lives. Since the cause of congenital heart disease is not known, there is no definite method of prevention. Some viral infections in utero can cause congenital malformations mostly associated with congenital heart disease, such as rubella virus syndrome. Therefore, prevention of viral infections during pregnancy, especially in early pregnancy, is an important measure. Alcoholism in the mother can lead to alcoholism syndrome in the baby, which is often accompanied by ventricular septal defect, patent ductus arteriosus, atrial septal defect, and tetralogy of Fallot. The use of certain drugs such as amphetamines, progesterones, estrogens, and anticonvulsants during pregnancy can also lead to cardiac malformations. Therefore, maternal health care during pregnancy should be taken seriously.