A diagnosis of congenital heart disease can be scary and overwhelming, no matter when it happens. But there is hope! Thanks to new and better treatment, chances of surviving and thriving are better with the right care.
At Conquering CHD, we believe information is important when making decisions about that care. We have shared trusted resources below, to help you understand your CHD and talk with your care team at different times in your journey.
When you are ready, we hope you will review other sections of our website and utilize resources as you manage care over your lifetime. Together, we are Conquering CHD!
What is CHD?
Congenital heart disease is a lifelong journey for patients and their families. Read below for statistics/facts, definitions of CHD, and key terminology for every CHD patient and family.
Cardiac Development and Anatomy
Understanding how the fetal heart forms is crucial to screening, diagnosis and treatment of congenital heart disease.
Diagnosis and Defects
There are more than 36 kinds of congenital heart defects and people with congenital heart disease often have more than one heart defect. The following resources can help you understand more about your heart disease and defect(s).
-
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
The CDC's National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities (NCBDDD) is committed to helping individuals with congenital heart defects in each phase of life, through public health tracking, research, and prevention
-
National Institutes of Health
Explore this Health Topic to learn more about the NIH's role in improving health for congenital heart disease patients
Partners in Health
Conquering CHD partners with multiple organizations across the healthcare landscape, in an effort to raise the voices of patients and families affected by CHD.
Conquering CHD Stories
Our Beautiful Boy – JT’s Story
My husband, Michael, and I had been trying to have a baby for over three years (through gestational surrogacy), and after several failed attempts and a miscarriage, we finally made it to the second trimester! When Michael, Michelle (our surrogate), and I attended the 20-week anatomy scan, we were shocked to find out that our...
Full Story>