... Congenital heart defects (CHDs) are problems with the heart’s structure that are present at birth.
... Common examples include holes in the inside walls of the heart and narrowed or leaky valves. In more severe forms of CHDs, blood vessels or heart chambers may be missing, poorly formed, and/or in the wrong place.
... Congenital heart defects are America’s and every country’s #1 birth defect. Nearly one of every 100 babies is born with a CHD.
... Congenital heart defects are the #1 cause of birth defect-related deaths.
... Congenital heart defects are the leading cause of all infant deaths in the United States.
... Each year approximately 40,000 babies are born in the United States with a congenital heart defect. Thousands of them will not reach their first birthday and thousands more die before they reach adulthood.
... Each year, more than 1 million babies are born worldwide with a congenital heart defect. 100,000 of them will not live to see their first birthday and thousands more die before they reach adulthood.
... Approximately 25% of children born with a CHD will need heart surgery or other interventions to survive.
... Over 85% of babies born with a CHD now live to at least age 18. However, children born with more severe forms of CHDs are less likely to reach adulthood.
... Surgery is often not a cure for CHDs. Many individuals with CHDs require additional operation(s) and/or medications as adults.
... People with CHDs face a life-long risk of health problems such as issues with growth and eating, developmental delays, difficulty with exercise, heart rhythm problems, heart failure, sudden cardiac arrest or stroke.
... People with CHDs are now living long enough to develop illnesses like the rest of the adult population, such as high blood pressure, obesity and acquired heart.
... CHDs are now the most common heart problem in pregnant women.