Complete congenital heart block: a review and case study.

Complete congenital heart block (CCHB) is a rare disease of the newborn that carries significant morbidity and mortality. It generally occurs as a result of the presence of maternal autoantibodies that are transferred to the fetus and affect the fetal heart, or it may be associated with a congenital structural abnormality of the heart. Infants with CCHB are at risk for diminished cardiac output and the subsequent development of congestive heart failure. Many infants require the placement of a cardiac pacemaker. It is essential that the nurse caring for these infants have a good understanding of the disease process and be familiar with the unique problems that these infants and their families may encounter.