By: Chanh Phan
According to the CDC, heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States. Approximately, 30 million Americans have some form of heart disease, and 655 thousand Americans die because of them. There are many types of heart disease such as Arrhythmias, Atherosclerosis, Coronary Artery Disease, Cardiomyopathy, and Congenital Heart Disease. Many of these heart conditions have become treatable as a result of the rapid expansion of knowledge in the medical field, such as advanced technology and new methods of approaching a condition. An example of treatable heart condition, which is now possible due to the advancement of the medical field, is Congenital Heart Disease.
According to the CDC and the American Heart Association, Congenital Heart Disease, also known as CHD, is a condition in which the heart does not properly develop during pregnancy. At conception, a baby’s heart begins to develop and is completely formed in 8 weeks. Within these 8 weeks is where congenital heart defects tend to arise. There are certain steps and processes which have to take place in order for the heart to form, and congenital heart defects are a result of one of those steps to be skipped. For example, according to the Mayo Clinic, one of the most common congenital heart defects is a Ventricular Septal Defect, which is a small hole in the heart wall, but 1 in 4 babies have much more impactful defects, such as only half of the heart being formed. These defects mainly affect how the heart pumps blood throughout the body; for instance, according to Stanford’s Children Hospital, too little blood will flow to the lungs, which causes the baby to be oxygen deprived, or too much blood will flow to the lungs, which causes “flooding” of the lungs and rapid breathing. There are a vast number of recorded heart defects, too many of which can be looked up at the CDC or the American Heart Association. Some symptoms for CHD among children are blue tinting of the nails or lips, troubled breathing, and tiredness when feeding.
As of right now, no one really knows what causes these heart defects. There are revolving theories to these, such as a genetic link, a mother’s preexisting condition, or the medication that the mother takes, but the overall consensus with many researchers is that there isn’t a known cause. Overall, CHD and the types of birth defects that are associated with this disease are known and have been verified, but the causes to which are unknown.
Among various sources, such as Mayo Clinic, Cincinnati Children's Hospital, and Stanford Children's Hospital, there appears to be a difference of opinion in regards to how common CHD is. Some sources say that 1 in 1000 children have this disease, and others say 1 in 2200 children have this disease. When averaging out from various courses, it appears that 1 in 2000 children have CHD. According to various statements and interviews, people with CHD have led normal lives and have lived normal lifespans, but according to the CDC, 97% of babies with non critical CHD only live up to a year and 95% of babies with non critical CHD live up to the age of 18. 25% of babies with CHD are born with more life threatening defects, and about a fourth of that 25% live up to a normal age and lead normal lives.
Given the current stage of modern technology and the constant advancement in the field of medicine, the rate of people with CHD that can live normally has increased substantially; for instance, a Fetal Echocardiogram, which produces a 3D image of a child’s heart before they are born, gives time for the surgeon to create a plan to help with defects if needed. With new procedures, such as adding a catheter within the body, which helps blood flow to certain places that could be affected by heart defects, CHD is becoming more treatable than before. But even with these new procedures and technology, they are not a cure. Depending on the heart defect, there are a number of complications that can arise when growing up, such as Arrhythmias, which is an irregular heart beat, or a heart infection. A person dealing with CHD needs regular check ups with a Cardiologist in order to stay healthy.
Congenital Heart Disease is one of the most prevalent birth defects in America. Even though many children with this disease don’t live past the age of one, the advancement in technology and knowledge of procedures has slowly increased the rate of children living a normal life.