Evaluation of relatives for congenital heart defects

Current and developing knowledge of mechanisms underlying the embryological development of congenital heart defects strongly suggests that medical evaluation should be extended to relatives of patients. Relatives may be found to have either subclinical or significant heart defects of specific forms that are phylogenetically related to the disorder of the index case. Discovery of the disorder in relatives allows better medical management and lends accuracy to assessment of the risk of congenital heart defects in future progeny of relatives.