Imagine your baby taking their first breath in this world, only to find that the pathways of their heart are not where they should be. This is the reality for babies born with a rare condition called transposition of the great arteries (TGA). It sounds complex—and it is—but at its core, it’s a powerful story of human resilience.
According to the Cleveland Clinic, TGA is a rare congenital condition where the main arteries, which transport oxygen-poor blood, are in the wrong places, affecting the pulmonary artery and the aorta, which are vital for blood flow in the body.
The clinic further explains that congenital heart conditions can be classified into two types: Levo-transposition (l-TGA) and dextro-transposition (d-TGA). The l-TGA type is said to occur when a baby’s aorta is located to the left of their pulmonary artery, “Blood without oxygen goes to your baby’s lungs and blood with oxygen goes to their body. But the wrong pumping chamber gets them there. This type is less common but also less harmful because blood goes where it should.”
The dextro-transposition (d-TGA) type is said to occur when a baby’s aorta is located to the right of its pulmonary artery, affecting blood flow and preventing oxygen delivery to organs. This type is believed to affect 5% to 7% of babies with congenital heart conditions. “When your baby’s pulmonary artery and aorta connect to the wrong parts of their heart, it affects how blood travels. It can make it difficult for enough oxygen to reach your baby’s organs. This is because your baby’s blood skips going to their lungs for oxygen. Blood that has oxygen doesn’t travel throughout the body to deliver oxygen.”
The Mayo Clinic mentions that TGA can be detected during pregnancy ultrasounds, but may not be noticeable for years. Symptoms are said to include blue or grey skin, weak pulse, lack of appetite, and poor weight gain.
Also see: Is your heart beating as it should? Understanding cardiac arrhythmia
