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Symptoms of Congenital heart disease

Babies and children who are affected by congenital heart disease may show a bluish skin colour. In black children, it is especially prominent around the lips, inside the mouth, on the tongue and under the fingernails. 

Babies may breathe very quickly. They will probably get tired easily when breastfeeding and put on weight slowly. Older children may be regularly short of breath, even when resting and take up a squatting position after exercise to recover. They may become dizzy and may even faint.

Children with congenital heart disease often have a heart murmur, which is usually diagnosed by your GP between 6 weeks and 1 year of age, depending on the kind of heart condition. Usually, a heart murmur by itself is harmless.