Facts - Research Makes The Difference!

Congential heart disease facts.

CHDs are America's number one birth defect, affecting nearly one out of every 100 births, or 40,000 babies a year.
CHDs are responsible for one third of all birth defect related deaths, making CHD the number one cause of birth defect related deaths.
More than 91,000 life years are lost each year in the United States because of CHDs
More than 50 percent of all children born with CHD will require at least one invasive surgery in their lifetime. Twenty percent of these children will not survive past their first year of life!
The American Heart Association directs only $0.30 of every dollar donated towards research. The remainder goes toward administration, education and fundraising efforts. Of the $0.30 that goes toward research only one penny goes toward pediatric cardiology for CHD.
Similarly, for every dollar provided by the National Institute of Health, only one penny is allocated towards pediatric research. This means that only a fraction of a penny will be directed towards CHD research.
Research has already made a difference in the lives of thousands of children and their families. In the last decade, death rates for CHDs have declined by almost 30 percent because of the advances made through research. As more children's heart abnormalities are treated, research is needed to meet the needs of CHD patients as they reach adulthood.

Of 98 children with HLHS studied from 1971-1986, only one child survived and 97 died. 15 died on the first day of life, 70 died within the first week, and 91 died within 30 days of birth. Cynthia Morris, Jacquelyn Outcalt and Victor D. Menashe Pediatrics 1990 859:977-983
Of 346 children with HLHS studied from 1988-1997, who underwent the Norwood procedure, 46% died. Chang, et al Pediatrics 2002 110:292
Of 158 children with HLHS studied from 1998-2001, who underwent the Norwood procedure, 34% died by one year of age. Alsoufi, B. et al Pediatrics 2007 119: 109-117
Of 114 children with HLHS studied from 2002-2005, who underwent the Norwood procedure, 18% died of surgical mortality. Ballweg, J.A. et al J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 2007 134:297-303