For obvious reasons, I’m becoming more familiar with heart related issues. I was surprised to find out February is heart awareness month and incidentally, baby boy is arriving during heart month. Here are some statistics I stole from another heart mom over at Happy Hearts. We are now one of these families, no matter the outcome next Thursday.
*CHDs are the #1 birth defect and the #1 cause of infant death related to birth defects. 1 in every 100 babies born will have a CHD (1 in every 800-1000 babies born has Downs Syndrome).
*1 in 10 of those born with a CHD will have a FATAL defect.
*In the US there are nearly twice as many deaths due to CHDs than that of all forms of childhood cancers combined. Yet there is 5 times more research for pediatric cancer than for CHDs.
*The cost of inpatient surgery alone for CHDs exceeds 2.2 billion dollars per year.
*There are approximately 35 known Congenital Heart Defects.
*Causes for CHDs are still being studied. While there is no known definitive cause, it is said that both genetics and environmental factors can play a role. Scientists have actually identified over 100 mutations that are directly linked to the heart.
*There is no known cure for CHDs. However, the mortality rate after surgery has significantly decreased in the past 20-30 years. On average it is about 5% compared to the 30% it was. At the same time, the rate of incidence of CHDs has remained unchanged.
*With advances in medicine, many of those born with a CHD will have their first and sometimes only corrective surgery before age 2.
*Many of those living with a CHD go on to lead normal to near normal lives. Those with complex CHDs will also go on to lead longer and more active lives than before. Most will have some physical limitations, but all learn to move passed them.
*Only about 30% of the children who need a heart transplant receive one in time.
*About 40,000 units of blood are used every day yet only about 5% of the adults, the only ones who are eligible to donate blood, do so. Someone needs blood every three seconds in the United States.
(c) 2016 Leighann Marquiss
Comments (1)
remember the cabbage patch kid club and the care bear club we would be “members” of?? Never did you think you’d be a “member” of the heart mom club. Love you and praying for you and baby boy.