Friday, February 8, 2013

The COLD HARD FACTS of Congenital Heart Defects

At the "Heartland" Amusement Park there are several shows to participate in when you need a break from the rides. One of these shows is called 1 in 100. You are asked questions regarding Congenital Heart Defects and asked to give an appropriate answer. I am going to give you a "Cheat Sheet" so-to-speak just in case you ever find yourself as a contestant in this game. Some of these facts may seem unbelievable to you. Trust me, they are very true. So study up, you never know when you might need to know these things to help a friend, acquaintance, or even family.

CHD Facts

Congenital Heart Defects are the #1 birth defect worldwide
Congenital Heart Defects are the #1 cause of birth defect related deaths worldwide
About 1 out of every 100 babies are born each year with some type of Congenital Heart Defect in the United States (approx. 40,000/year)
Nearly twice as many children die from Congenital Heart Defects in the United States each year as from all forms of childhood cancers combined, yet funding for pediatric cancer research is five times higher than funding for Congenital Heart Defects
Each year worldwide 100,000 babies (under one year old) will not live to celebrate their first birthday
Each year in the United States approximately 4,000 babies (under one year old) will not live to celebrate their first birthday
The cost for inpatient surgery to repair Congenital Heart Defects exceeds $2.2 billion a year
Of every dollar the government spends on medical funding only a fraction of a penny is directed toward Congenital Heart Defect research
The American Heart Association directs only $0.30 of every dollar donated toward research. The remainder goes toward administration, education and fundraising efforts. Of the $0.30 that goes toward research only $0.01 goes toward pediatric cardiology for CHD
Though research is ongoing, at least 35 defects have now been identified
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
It is a proven fact that the earlier CHD is detected and treated, it is more likely the affected child will survive and have less long term health complications