There are so many reasons why it is important to care about congenital heart disease (CHD).
A congenital heart defect is a problem present at birth that affects the structure and function of the heart.
- Congenital heart defects are the most common type of birth defect in the United States.
- Nearly 1% of children are born with some kind of congenital heart defect each year in the US alone – some 40,000 births.
- That equates to 1 child every 15 minutes.
- Congenital heart defects are 60 times more prevalent than childhood cancer
- Childhood cancer receives 5 times more funding than CHD research
- 2 times as many children die from CHD than from all childhood cancers combined
- Congenital heart disease is the #1 birth defect-related cause of illness and death among children
- Of babies born with CHD, 25% of those have what are considered critical, or life-threatening defects – and will need surgery or intervention within the first year of life
- In the US, 2 – 3 million children and adults are living with a congenital heart defect
- There are 40 different types of congenital heart defects, and none of them yet have a cure