“Ryker… Congenital Heart Defect Awareness Day……”

Not Just Valentine’s Day…

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Congenital Heart Defect Awareness Day…

Valentine’s Day is all about romance. But for many families, February 14 has another meaning: Congenital Heart Defect (CHD) Awareness Day.

This special day comes at the end of CHD Awareness Week (February 7-14) — a time to raise awareness about CHD, the most common type of birth defect.

“Congenital heart defect” is a catch-all phrase for a variety of heart abnormalities that develop before birth. CHDs can affect the heart’s structure and function, disrupting the normal flow of blood through the heart. CHDs are present at birth, but individuals born with CHD live with these conditions throughout their lives.

CHD Awareness Week honors children and adults born with a heart defect, their families, and the scientists and doctors who are continually working to improve diagnosis and treatment. It’s also a time to educate people about CHD and the need for more research. By participating in CHD Awareness Week, you can help bring awareness to CHD as well as help raise money for research and improving treatment.

CHD is surprisingly common. Researchers estimate that around 1.4 million American adults and 1 million children are living with CHDs, according to the CDC. Nearly 1 out of 100 babies are born with a congenital heart defect (CHD). This means that every 15 minutes, a baby is born with CHD.

According to Children’s Health, the most common types of CHD are:

Bicuspid aortic valve (BAV)
Ventricular septal defects (VSD)
Atrial septal defects (ASD)

Some heart defects don’t need treatment or can be treated easily. Others may require surgery or other treatment. About 1 in 4 babies born with CHD has a critical congenital heart defect (also known as critical congenital heart disease, or CCHD). Babies with CCHD will need surgery or treatment within their first year of life. Without treatment, critical CHDs can be fatal.

There is good news, though: Since 1999, death rates from CHD in the U.S. have decreased by nearly 40% thanks to improved screening and treatment. All 50 states now require pulse oximetry testing for newborns, which can help identify critical CHDs so these babies can receive prompt treatment. Medical advancements mean that children born with CHDs are now living longer and healthier lives.

Criss Cross Heart…

Crisscross heart is a rare cardiac malformation characterized by crossing of the inflow streams of the two ventricles due to a twisting of the heart about its long axis. The developmental mechanisms and causes of crisscross heart remain unknown. Neonates present with cyanosis and a systolic murmur…

VSD…

A ventricular septal defect (VSD) is a birth defect of the heart in which there is a hole in the wall (septum) that separates the two lower chambers (ventricles) of the heart. This wall also is called the ventricular septum.

ASD…

An atrial septal defect is a birth defect of the heart in which there is a hole in the wall (septum) that divides the upper chambers (atria) of the heart.

Coarctation of the Aorta…

In this condition the aorta (the main artery that carries blood from the heart to the body) is narrowed or constricted.

TGA…

Transposition of the Great Arteries is a birth defect of the heart in which the two main arteries carrying blood out of the heart – the main pulmonary artery and the aorta – are switched in position, or “transposed.”

DORV…

Double outlet right ventricle is a rare congenital heart defect. In DORV, the pulmonary artery and the aorta — the heart’s two major arteries — both connect to the right ventricle.