Congenital Heart Defect
Awareness Week
February 7-14, 2011
An international coalition of families, individuals, non-profit
organizations, support groups, and health professionals participate in a
campaign to increase public awareness of Congenital Heart Defects and
Childhood Heart Disease.
Congenital Heart Defect Fact Sheet
- Sometime during early pregnancy, a baby's heart may not form
properly, resulting in structural abnormalities known as Congenital
Heart Defects. In many cases the
cause is unknown.
-
It is estimated that 40,000 babies with Congenital Heart Defects
(CHD) are born in the United States each year.
-
Although some babies will be diagnosed at birth, newborns are not
routinely screened for CHD. The consequences of a late diagnosis can
have serious, lifelong implications.**
-
CHD is the most frequently occurring birth defect, and is the
leading cause of birth-defect related deaths.
Nearly 1,800 infants with CHD die each year as a result of congenital
heart defects
-
Some CHDs may require visits to a
Pediatric Cardiologist. Others can be treated with medications or
repaired with surgery and/or procedures. Complex defects may require
several surgeries and are never really "cured".
-
The majority of patients born with congenital heart defects are
now adults****, yet many adults with CHD are not receiving
adequate ongoing care from trained specialists.**
* NHLBI
**Report of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Working
Group on Research in Adult Congenital Heart Disease, 2006
***Congenital Heart Surgeons Society
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