If any defect is found to be present at the time of birth, the person is said to be suffering from congenital heart disease. Congenital heart disease can be hereditary, but in most cases the cause is unknown. Doctors have found that if the mother is infected with the rubella virus at the time of pregnancy, chances are that the baby maybe born with congenital heart disease. If a person is diagnosed with congenital heart disease, he may have malformations of the heart valves and arteries. They may also develop other malformations and anomalies in their later life.