Are you CHD aware?
CHD Awareness Week
February 7-14, 2026
FACTS
Heart defects are a leading cause of birth defect-associated infant illness and death.
In the United States, twice as many children die from congenital heart defects each year than from all forms of childhood cancer combined, yet funding for pediatric cancer research is five times higher than funding for CHD
Every 15 minutes, a baby is born with a heart defect in the United States.
About 1 in 4 babies born with a heart defect has a critical CHD.
As of 2018, all 50 states and Washington D.C. have newborn screening programs to test for critical CHDs.
There is NO CURE. People with congenital heart defects require lifelong care even after surgeries.
About 69% of babies born with a critical heart defect are expected to survive to at least 18 years of age.
There are 40 different types of congenital heart defects. Little is known about the cause of most them. There is not yet a cure for any of them.
CHDs can have important lifelong neurodevelopmental and neurocognitive effects, leading to challenges in education, employment, and social relationships.