FAQs

What is Congenital Heart Disease (CHD)?

The term congenital means “born with.” Congenital heart disease (congenital heart defect) means a person was born with a heart that hasn’t developed correctly. There are a wide variety of defects, some of which require open heart surgery at birth or in childhood.

How common is CHD?

Congenital heart disease (defects) is the most common birth defect, effecting approximately 1 in 100 or 40,000 children per year. It is 60 times more prevalent than childhood cancer.

How dangerous is CHD?

It is the #1 cause of birth defect related deaths in infants. Survival depends on the severity of the defect and treatment available. Approximately 30% of children born with a complex defect will not live to the age of 18. However, around 95% of children born with a non-critical heart defect will live to the age of 18.

What causes CHD?

There is no known cause of CHD, but it can be associated with certain genetic conditions and risk factors such as maternal obesity, diabetes, smoking, infections, and harmful environmental exposures.

What are the signs and symptoms of CHD?

A baby born with a congenital heart defect may have excessive sleepiness, sweating, fast breathing, trouble feeding, failure to gain weight, swelling of their face/hands/feet, irritability, heart murmur, and a blue coloring to their skin, nails, or lips. A pediatric cardiologist will be the specialist to determine if a person has CHD. A diagnosis is made through a history and physical and other tests like an electrocardiogram (reading of the electrical conduction of the heart), echocardiogram (ultrasound of the heart), and blood tests.

How do you treat CHD?

There is no cure for CHD. Around 25% of congenital heart defects require surgical repair. Children who survive will require lifelong care and follow up with a cardiologist. Between 20-30% will have other developmental or cognitive disabilities. Risk of these types of disabilities is higher among people with complex congenital heart disease.