Prognostic Markers of Inflammation in Infants Undergoing Cardiopulmonary Bypass

This study evaluates the effect of heart-lung bypass on babies undergoing cardiac surgery. The investigators want to learn more about the inflammation that exposure to bypass creates in the body by studying markers of inflammation and cell injury in the bloodstream. Additionally, the investigators want to examine if these markers can predict which babies develop post-surgical complications. The hypothesis is that babies who undergo bypass will have higher levels of these markers than babies not exposed to bypass and that these markers will correlate with how the baby does clinically after surgery. This study will evaluate markers via blood sampling in babies with congenital heart disease who do not undergo cardiac surgery, those that undergo surgery without bypass, and those that undergo surgery with bypass. The overall goal is that this study will lead to useful biomarkers and lay the groundwork for future novel therapies aimed at improving outcomes for babies who require heart-lung bypass.