- About 36,000 children are born each year with a heart defect. Most children can benefit from surgery even if the defect is very severe. When surgery is necessary, many medical treatments are available to help the heart work properly. There is nothing that parents could of done to have prevented the heart defect. -American Heart Association
- Nine of every 1,000 infants born each year have a heart defect. About 650,000 to 1.3 million Americans with cardiovascular defects are alive today. Though research is ongoing, at least 35 defects have now been identified.-American Heart Association
- More than 32,000 infants (one out of every 125 to 150) are born with heart defects each year in the United States. The defect may be so slight that the baby appears healthy for many years after birth, or so severe that its life is in immediate danger. -March of Dimes
- Heart Defects are among the most common birth defect and are the leading cause of birth defect related deaths. -March of Dimes
- Congenital Heart Defects are the #1 cause of birth defect related deaths. (March of Dimes)
- About 1 out of every 100 babies are born each year with some type of Congenital Heart Defect. (approx. 40,000/year) Children’s Heart Foundation
- Nearly twice as many children die from Congenital Heart Defects in the United States each year as from all forms of childhood cancers combined.
- This year approximately 4,000 babies will not live to see their first birthday because of Congenital Heart Defects. (Children’s Heart Foundation)
- Although some babies will be diagnosed during gestation or at birth, sometimes the diagnosis is not made until days, weeks, months, or even years after. In some cases, CHD is not detected until adolescence or adulthood. (March of Dimes)
