- CHD stands for Congential Heart Defects [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.]
- CHDs are as common as autism and about twenty-five times more common than cystic fibrosis
- Did you know that roughly 40,000 babies are born with a CHD every year just in the USA.
- About 1-2 million adults in the USA are walking around with a known CHD and 250,000 adults with a CHD in the UK
- A simple Pulse Ox can save lives if done after birth. [Pulse oximetry is a simple bedside test to determine the amount of oxygen in a baby’s blood and the baby’s pulse rate. The test is done using a machine called a pulse oximeter, with sensors placed on the baby’s skin. The test is painless and takes only a few minutes. Screening is done when a baby is 24 to 48 hours of age, or as late as possible if the baby is to be discharged from the hospital before he or she is 24 hours of age.]
- CHD is the most common birth defect in the USA
- 37% of all hospital costs were associated with CHD
- Approximately 25% of children born with a CHD will need heart surgery or other interventions to survive
- Most causes of CHDs are unknown. Only 15-20% of all CHDs are related to known genetic conditions
- Most CHDs are thought to be caused by a combination of genes and other risk factors, such as environmental exposures and maternal conditions. Because the heart is formed so early in pregnancy, the damage may occur before most women know they are pregnant.
- Environmental exposures that may be related to risk of having a CHD include the mother’s diet and certain chemicals and medications. Maternal diabetes is a recognized cause of CHDs. Maternal obesity, smoking, and some infections also may raise the risk of having a baby with a CHD. Preventing these risk factors before a pregnancy is crucial
- A baby’s risk of having a CHD is increased by 3 times if the mother, father, or sibling has a CHD
Symptoms are..
- Tires easily during feeding
- Sweating around the head, especially during feeding
- Fast breathing when at rest or sleeping
- Pale or bluish skin color
- Poor weight gain
- Sleeps a lot - not playful or curious for any length of time
- Puffy face, hands, and/or feet
- Often irritable, difficult to console
- Gets out of breath during play
- Difficulty "keeping up" with playmates
- Tires easily/sleeps a lot
- Change in color during active play or sports (looks pale or has a bluish tint around mouth and nose)
- Frequent colds and respiratory illnesses
- Slow growth and weight gain/poor appetite
- Complains of chest pain and/or heart pounding