Babies Born with Heart Defects

Babies born with heart defects have structural or functional abnormalities present at birth that cause physical or mental disability. Some may be fatal. Currently, these babies born with heart defects are the leading cause of death for infants during the first year of life. A heart birth defect has a variety of causes, such as genetic problems, problems with chromosomes, and environmental factors that a woman is exposed to during pregnancy, such as German measles or chicken pox.

There are many kinds of defects that babies born with heart defects can suffer from, including structural or functional/developmental. In my book, “Matters of the Heart,” the public can read about some of the babies born with heart defects.  

A congenital birth defect has been present in babies born with heart defects  from all over the world, in families of all nationalities and backgrounds. Any time a couple becomes pregnant, there is a chance that they will have a baby born with heart defects. The chance is three to four out of 100, or 3-4 percent. This means that there is a 96-97 percent chance, with each pregnancy, that there is a baby born without heart defects.

In a family where a baby born with heart defects is already present, the chance for a couple to have another child with a heart defect may be higher than the usual rate. 

Learn more about babies born with heart defects in Matters of the Heart.