Congenital Heart Diseases in Children: A Narrative Analysis of Early Diagnosis, Clinical Management, and Long-Term Outcomes

Congenital heart disease is one of the most common congenital anomalies in children and remains a major contributor to neonatal morbidity, infant mortality, repeated hospitalisation, and lifelong cardiovascular care needs. The clinical spectrum ranges from minor septal defects to complex cyanotic and duct-dependent lesions requiring urgent intervention. The objective of this review is to analyse early diagnosis, clinical management, and long-term outcomes of congenital heart diseases in paediatric populations, with attention to screening, multidisciplinary treatment, complications, and follow-up needs. A narrative literature search was conducted using PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar for articles published from 2015 to 2026. Eligible sources included original studies, reviews, meta-analyses, cohort studies, and guideline-based publications addressing paediatric diagnosis, treatment, survival, neurodevelopment, complications, or quality of life. The review highlights the importance of prenatal ultrasonography, fetal echocardiography, newborn pulse oximetry, echocardiographic confirmation, medical stabilisation, catheter-based procedures, cardiac surgery, intensive care, and structured follow-up. Long-term outcomes have improved, yet residual lesions, arrhythmias, pulmonary hypertension, growth impairment, neurodevelopmental delay, psychosocial burden, and reintervention remain important concerns. Early detection, timely referral, lesion-specific management, and lifelong multidisciplinary surveillance are essential for improving survival, functional status, and quality of life in affected children.