Who is affected by congenital heart defects

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Who is affected by congenital heart defects

Congenital heart defects happen in about 8 out of 1,000 babies born in the United States.¹ About one-third of these babies (2 to 3 out of 1,000 live births) have major defects that need surgery or have defects that may cause death during the first year of life.¹ The number of congenital heart defects among babies born early (premature) is much higher—about 2 out of 100 births.²

Congenital heart defects affect boys and girls equally. But boys tend to have a greater risk for certain severe defects (complete transposition and aortic stenosis).³

References

Citations

1. Fulton DR, Freed MD (2004). The pathology, pathophysiology, recognition, and treatment of congenital heart disease. In V Fuster et al., eds., Hurst's The Heart, 11th ed., pp.1785–1850. New York: McGraw-Hill.

2. Bernstein D (2004). Epidemiology and genetic basis of congenital heart disease. In RE Behrman et al., eds., Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics, 17th ed., pp. 1499–1502. Philadelphia: Saunders.

3. Clark EB (2001). Etiology of congenital cardiovascular malformations: Epidemiology and genetics. In HD Allen et al., eds., Moss and Adams' Heart Disease in Infants, Children, and Adolescents, Including the Fetus and Young Adult, 6th ed., vol. 1, pp. 64–79. Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams and Wilkins.

Credits

Last updated:	October 27, 2005
Author:	Shannon Erstad, MBA/MPH
Reviewed By:	Michael J. Sexton, MD - Pediatrics, Larry A. Latson, MD - Pediatric Cardiology
Editors:	Kathleen M. Ariss, MS, Terrina Vail