Cumberland County Mayor Allen Foster has proclaim February 7-14, 2021 as Congenital Heart Defect Awareness Week and encourage all citizens to join him in this special observance.

The week is observed each year to promote awareness and education about congenital heart defects (CHDs). CHDs affects one in 100 births every year in the United States and are the most common type of birth defect.

A congenital heart defect is a structural problem with the heart that is present at birth whether caused by genetic or environmental causes. It  can affect the walls of the heart, the valves, or the blood vessels adjacent to the heart, and are the most common type of birth defect affecting about 1% of infants. These defects can range from mild, a small hole in the heart wall that closes on its own, to severe malformations that can be life-threatening. About 25% of infants born with CHD will have critical CHD which will require procedures or surgery in the first year of life. Some CHD can be diagnosed on prenatal ultrasound; others however are diagnosed in infancy during physical examination by a doctor or critical CHD screening.

Symptoms of CHD include poor feeding, excessive sleepiness, failure to thrive, fast or difficult breathing or blue-tinted gums or lips. The form of treatment depends on the type of defect, however with advances in medical care many children with complex and critical CHD can lead long productive lives. Even with treatment some children with CHD are not cured and have a lifelong increased risk of heart disease.