Utah Birth Defect Network

January is Birth Defect Prevention Month
January 2012 the UBDN’s Focus is on
Congenital Heart Defects

What is a congenital heart defect?

Congenital heart defects or CHDs are problems withthe heart’s structure that are present at birth.
Common examples include holes in the inside walls of the heart and narrowed or leaky valves. In more severe forms of CHD, blood vessels or heart chambers may be missing, poorly formed, and/or in the wrong place.

How common are congenital heart defects?

CHDs are the most common birth defect. CHDs occur in almost 1% of births.
More than 300 babies are born in Utah each year with CHDs or 1 in 100 babies are born with a CHD.
CHDs are as common as autism and about twenty-five times more common than cystic fibrosis.
Thanks to improvements in survival, the number of adults living with CHD is increasing. It is now believed that the number of adults living with CHD is at least equal if not greater than the number of children living with CHD.

What causes congenital heart defects?

Most causes of CHDs are unknown. Only 15-20% of all CHDs are related to known genetic conditions.
Most CHDs are thought to be caused by a combination of genes and other risk factors, such as environmental exposures and maternal conditions. Because the heart is formed so early in pregnancy, the damage occurs before most women know they are pregnant (during the first 8 weeks after conception). Preventing these factors before a pregnancy is crucial.
Environmental exposures that may be related to risk of having a CHD include the mother’s diet and certain chemicals and medications. Maternal diabetes is a recognized cause of CHD. Maternal obesity, smoking, and some infections also may raise the risk of having a baby with a CHD.
A baby’s risk of having a CHD is increased by 3 times if the mother, father, or sibling has a CHD.

What can you do to reduce your risk?

Improving a child’s lifelong health by preventing alcohol-related birth defects

When a pregnant woman drinks alcohol, so does her baby, and the consequences may be devastating.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, fetal alcohol syndrome is the leading preventable cause of birth defects.
The effects of alcohol may cause a recognizable pattern of physical and neurological findings called fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS).
FAS does not occur only in children of mothers who are heavy drinkers: anyone who drinks wine, wine coolers, beer or liquor during pregnancy may put her baby at risk.
There is no known safe amount of alcohol during pregnancy.
The effects of alcohol on the developing baby are 100% preventable.