CHD Awareness Week

Government officials throughout the world have declared February 7th-14th “Congenital Heart Defect Awareness Week.”

To mark this important occasion, an international coalition of individuals, families, non-profit organizations, support groups and health professionals participate in a Campaign to increase public awareness of Congenital Heart Defects and Childhood Heart Disease. By sharing our experiences and providing information to the public we hope to raise awareness about conditions that effect nearly 40,000 babies each year in the United States.

It is our sincere hope that efforts to educate the public will results in additional funding for support, educational services, scientific research and improved quality of care for our children and adults.

The Facts

• It is estimated that 40,000 babies are born each year with Congenital Heart Defects in the United States alone.
• CHD is the most frequently occurring birth defect and is a leading cause of birth-defect related deaths worldwide.
• 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.
• Although some babies will be diagnosed at birth, sometimes the diagnosis is not made until days, weeks, months, or even years after. In some cases, CHDs are not detected until adolescence or adulthood.

• Many cases of Sudden Cardiac Death in young athletes are caused by undiagnosed CHDs and Childhood Onset Heart Disease.

Despite these statistics, newborns and teen-aged athletes are NOT routinely screened for Congenital Heart Defects and a disproportionately small amount of funding is available for research and support.

Signs and Symptoms

Parents should be alert to the following symptoms in infancy:

• Tires easily during feeding (i.e. falls asleep before feeding finishes)
• 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
• Some children with CHDs may not have any symptoms until later in childhood.

Things to look for include:

• 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

If your child has two or more of these symptoms, talk to your pediatrician about a referral to a Pediatric Cardiologist.

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Message kindly provided by http://www.tchin.org/aware The Congenital Heart Information Network, a 501(c)3 organization created by the mother of a child with complex heart defects, provides reliable information, support services and resources to families of children with congenital defects and acquired heart disease, adults with congenital heart defects, and the professionals who work with them. Additional services include financial assistance to families in crisis, funding for local affiliated support groups, and sponsorship of an international CHD Awareness Campaign. With the guidance of a medical Advisory Panel, we maintain a commitment  to providing resources that are accurate and reliable