Which statement best represents signs of congenital heart disease presenting in newborns?

• A. Cyanosis, poor feeding, tachypnea, and other signs.
• B. Poor feeding and tachypnea
• C. Cyanosis, poor feeding, tachypnea, failure to thrive, and hepatomegaly in some defects.
• D. Frequent crying

Answer: (C)

In newborns with congenital heart disease, signs come from how the heart’s impaired pumping affects oxygen delivery and blood flow. Cyanosis shows that oxygenation is compromised, often due to a mixing or decreased pulmonary flow that leaves arterial blood less oxygenated. Tachypnea appears because the lungs are working harder to oxygenate blood or because of increased pulmonary blood flow. Feeding becomes tiring and inefficient, and this energy drain can lead to inadequate intake and eventual poor weight gain. Over time, chronic strain on the heart can cause congestive symptoms, including hepatomegaly from venous congestion in the liver. This combination—cyanosis plus signs of heart failure like poor feeding, rapid breathing, failure to thrive, and sometimes an enlarged liver—best represents how congenital heart disease can present in newborns. Other options miss one or more of these key elements or rely on nonspecific signs like frequent crying.