Congenital Heart Defect Awareness Week
The primary purpose of Congenital Heart Defect Awareness day is to raise awareness of congenital heart defect (CHD) which is actually the most common birth defect. It affects approximately 1% of new-borns with more than 40,000 babies born with heart defects in the United States each year. Every day, a little over 10,800 babies in the US are born and 411 of them have some type of birth defect. Out of the 411 with birth defects, 87 will be born with a congenital heart defect. This number is more than cerebral palsy (27), Down syndrome (12), sickle cell disease (27) and oral/facial clefts (11). This is according to the March of Dimes.
American Heart Month
Heart disease is the leading cause of death for men and women in the United States. Every year, 1 in 4 deaths are caused by heart disease. The good news? Heart disease can often be prevented when people make healthy choices and manage their health conditions. We can use this month to raise awareness about heart disease and how people can prevent it — both at home and in the community. Make a difference in your community: Spread the word about strategies for preventing heart disease and encourage people to live heart healthy lives.