Every year in the United States, an estimated 32,000 newborns (approximately one in every 120 babies born) start their journey through life with a congenital heart defect (CHD).  In Utah, the number of newborns diagnosed with a CHD is estimated to be more than 400 each year.

With improving therapies, a majority of them will live into adulthood. However, for many of these babies, especially the estimated 130 born with severe to critical CHDs (~1 in 400 births), the cardiac anomaly is treated, but not necessarily cured – survivors will continue to need specialty care throughout infancy and childhood. A pediatric cardiologist is trained to provide a diagnosis and proper care for an infant or child with a CHD.