Methods of detection of congenital heart defect (CHD) in a newborn human patient, are provided according to aspects of the present disclosure which include: performing an assay for one or more biomarkers of CHD selected from the group consisting of: soluble Suppression of Tumorigenicity 2 protein (sST2), and Galectin-3 in a dried blood sample obtained from the newborn human patient, thereby determining a level of one or both biomarkers present in the dried blood sample. The determined level of the biomarker(s) present in the dried blood sample is compared with a standard representing a normal newborn control without CHD, thereby determining whether the determined level is increased or decreased compared to the standard, wherein an increased level of one or both biomarkers present in the dried blood sample, compared with a standard representing a normal newborn control without congenital heart defect, indicates detection of CHD in the newborn human patient.