CHD Awareness Week

CHD Awareness Week February 7-14, 2010

For those of you who don't know this is a cause near and dear to my heart. It was three short years ago that my sweet Lila Rae was diagnosed with a CHD. Unfortunately, she had a rare CHD, Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome, and died at 6 weeks of age.

This week I want to share with you some things about CHDs and its victims. So please check through out the week to learn something new about these defects.

Also, Cory and I will be wearing red ribbons this week to support the awareness. Please feel free to do the same!

• Sometimes during early pregnancy, a baby's heart fails to form properly, resulting in structural abnormalities known as Congenital Heart Defects. Although some defects are genetic, 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. More than 1 million American children and adults with Congenital Heart Defects and Childhood Onset Heart Disease are alive today.

• CHD is the most frequently occurring birth defect, and is the leading cause of birth-defect related deaths.

• 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, so it is important for the public to be aware of the signs and symptoms in newborns, and children.

• Some CHDs may not require treatment other than periodic 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".
  Many cases of sudden cardiac death in young athletes are caused by undiagnosed CHDs and Childhood Onset Heart Disease.

• It is estimated that more adults than children are living with congenital heart disease, and this population is expected to grow by 5% each year. Yet, many adults with CHD are not receiving adequate ongoing care from trained specialists. ***

* American Heart Association: Statistical Update 2001
** American College of Cardiology, 32nd Bethesda Conference: Care of the Adult With Congenital Heart Disease
***Report of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Working Group on Research in Adult Congenital Heart Disease, 2006