The boy had herpes, the doctor discovered a hole in his heart

A ventricular septal defect occurs when a patient has a hole in the wall between the two lower chambers of the heart (ventricles), causing blood to leak between the two sides of the heart, which separates blood into oxygenated and non-oxygenated types. The leak causes more blood to be pumped into the lungs, forcing the lungs and heart to work overtime. This increases the risk of life-threatening complications such as heart failure, heart infection, high blood pressure, stroke or irregular heartbeat.

Bertie was given medication and fed through an esophageal tube, but remained healthy. The baby is gaining weight despite having heavy breathing. The boy will have surgery to close the heart defect this summer, with support from the charity Heart Heroes based in Gloucester. Family friends are taking on a number of challenges to raise money for charity, including push-ups and marathons.

According to the UK National Health Service, ventricular septal defect is the most common type of heart defect in newborns, affecting one in 500 babies. In many cases, holes in the heart heal without intervention and cause no symptoms. However, if the hole is large, the amount of blood leaking between the heart chambers can cause permanent damage. At this point, doctors will prescribe open-heart surgery or a temporary patch to the hole.

Symptoms of the disease are often difficult to recognize. Patients may experience fatigue, difficulty breathing, pale fingertips or purple, blistered lips. Other symptoms include slow growth, sweating or fatigue when feeding, and frequent respiratory infections.