Septal Congenital Heart Defects

Some congenital heart defects allow blood to flow between the right and left chambers of the heart because an infant is born with an opening in the septal wall that separates the right and left sides of the heart.

Because of this opening, blood from the left ventricle flows back into the right ventricle, due to higher pressure in the left ventricle. This causes an extra volume of blood to be pumped into the lungs by the right ventricle, which can create congestion in the lungs.