Congenital Heart Defect Facts
§ A Congenital Heart Defect (CHD) is a structural problem with a baby’s heart that is present at birth.
§ CHD is the #1 birth defect in the U.S.
§ CHD is the #1 cause of birth-related infant deaths.
§ 1 in every 125 babies is born with a CHD. Of those, 1 in 10 is born with a fatal defect.
§ Nearly twice as many children die from CHD in the U.S. each year than from all forms of childhood cancers combined. However, funding for pediatric cancer research is 5 times higher than for CHD.
§ There are 35 types of identified CHDs.
§ Approximately 1 million American children and adults with CHD and childhood onset heart disease are alive today.
Sources:
The American Heart Association: http://www.americanheart.org
Little Hearts: http://littlehearts.net
March of Dimes link on congenital heart defects:
http://www.marchofdimes.com/professionals/14332_1212.asp
Here is a great link which explains all different types of congenital heart defects:
This link has detailed explanations as well as video segments showing function of the heart through various stages of repair:
http://www.cincinnatichildrens.org/health/heart-encyclopedia/anomalies