Articles about Congenital Heart Defects (CHDs)

Key Findings

Parents of Children with Heart Conditions Report Their Child Has Signs of Poor Oral Health
A CDC study found that many parents of children with a heart condition reported their child had teeth in fair/poor condition and signs of poor oral health such as toothaches, bleeding gums, or cavities in the past year, compared to parents of children without heart conditions.

Adults with Heart Defects Are More Likely to Have a Disability
A CDC study found that adults with heart defects are up to 8 times more likely to have a disability than adults without heart defects.

Many U.S. Children and Adults Are Living with Heart Defects
A study from the CDC in five sites across the United States found that 1 in 157 children and 1 in 680 adolescents and adults had a heart defect noted at a medical visit.

Adults with Heart Defects Are More Likely to Report Additional Cardiovascular Health Issues
A study from the CDC found that adults living with heart defects may be more likely than the general population to report additional cardiovascular issues such as heart failure and stroke.

Women with Heart Defects Might Have a Higher Risk of Pregnancy-Related Health Issues
A study from the CDC found that many women with congenital heart defects become pregnant and experience pregnancy-related health complications.

Many U.S. Children and Teens Are Living With a Heart Defect
A study from the CDC found that, in 2010, 1 in 250 to 1 in 59 children and teens were living with a congenital heart defect in certain areas of the United States.

All States Now Have Policies Supporting Screening for Critical Congenital Heart Defects
A CDC study found that, as of 2018, all 50 states and Washington, D.C. have newborn screening programs that test for critical congenital heart defects.

Children with Heart Conditions Have Special Healthcare Needs
A study from the CDC found that 1 in 77 U.S. children reportedly had a current heart condition in 2016.

Study Finds Infant Cardiac Deaths Have Declined in States that Mandate Screening for Critical Congenital Heart Disease
The Journal of the American Medical Association has published a study reporting a more than 33% decline in infant deaths from critical congenital heart disease (CCHD) in eight states that mandated screening for CCHD using pulse oximetry compared to states without screening policies

Estimating the Number of People with Congenital Heart Defects Living in the United States
The journal Circulation has published a study that estimates about 1 million children and 1.4 million adults in the United States were living with a congenital heart defect (CHD) in 2010.

Use of Special Education Services among Children with CHDs
CDC study findings in Pediatrics show that children with congenital heart defects (CHDs) received special education services more often than children without birth defects.

Estimated Number of Infants Detected and Missed by Critical Congenital Heart Defect Screening
The journal Pediatrics has published a study estimating the number of infants with critical congenital heart defects(critical CHDs) potentially detected or missed through universal screening for critical CHDs using pulse oximetry.

Diabetes before pregnancy and congenital heart defects
In a study published in the American Journal of Preventative Medicine, women with diabetes before pregnancy were about 4 times more likely to have a pregnancy affected by a congenital heart defect compared to women without diabetes.

Long Term Outcomes in Children with Congenital Heart Disease
In a study published in the Journal of Pediatrics, CDC researchers found that children with CHD are more likely to report worse health overall, to need more healthcare services, and to have other health conditions, compared to children without CHD.

Infant Death Due to Heart Defects
Congenital heart defects are conditions present at birth that can affect the way the heart works. They can cause lifelong disability or death. They are the most common type of birth defect, affecting nearly 40,000 births in the United States each year.

Feature Articles

5 Things to Know About Heart Defects
Read our top five things to know about congenital heart defects.

Living with a Heart Defect
Learn about heart defects and about Mary, an adult living with a heart defect.

Articles of Interest

CDC and its partners conduct important research on congenital heart defects (CHDs). Articles and key findings that might be of interest are listed below. Click on the links to learn more about each study.

*Articles are listed in order of date published.

Adverse Pregnancy Conditions Among Privately Insured Women With and Without Congenital Heart Defects
Circ Cardiovasc Qual Outcomes. 2020
Farr, SL, Downing, KF, Ailes, EC, Gurvitz, M, Koontz, G, Tran, EL, Alverson, CJ, & Oster, ME.
[Read article]

Receipt of American Heart Association-Recommended Preconception Health Care Among Privately Insured Women With Congenital Heart Defects, 2007-2013
J Am Heart Assoc 2019
Downing, KF, Tepper, NK, Simeone, RM, Ailes, EC, Gurvitz, M, Boulet, SL, Honein, MA, Howards, PP, Valente, AM, & Farr, SL.
[Read article]

Inpatient Hospitalization Costs Associated with Birth Defects Among Persons of All Ages — United States, 2013.
MMWR 2017 Jan.;66(2):41-46.
Arth, A., Tinker, S., Simeone, R., Ailes, E., Cragan, J., and Grosse, S.
[Read summary]

Congenital Heart Defects Across the Lifespan – Estimating the Magnitude of the Affected Population in the United States.
Circulation. 2016 Jul.
Gilboa SM, Devine O, Kucik JE, Oster ME, Riehle-Colarusso T, Nembhard WN, Ping X, Correa A, Jenkins K, Marelli A.
[Read summary] [Read key findings]

Limitations, depressive symptoms, and quality of life among a population‐based sample of young adults with congenital heart defects.
Birth Defects Res Part A Clin Mol Teratol. 2016 Mar; 106(7): 580-586.
Farr SL, Oster ME, Simeone RM, Gilboa SM, Honein MA.
[Read article]

Congenital heart defects and receipt of special education services.
Pediatrics 2015
Riehle-Colarusso T, Autry A, Razzaghi H Boyle CA, Mahle WT, Van Naarden Braun K, Correa A
[Read summary] [Read key findings]

Estimated Number of Infants Detected and Missed by Critical Congenital Heart Defect Screening.
Pediatrics 2015 [epub ahead of print].
Ailes EC, Gilboa SM, Honein MA, Oster ME.
[Read summary] [Read key findings]

State legislation, regulations, and hospital guidelines for newborn screening for critical congenital heart defects—United States.
MMWR 2015 June;64(23):625-630.
Glidewell J, Olney RS, Hinton C, Pawelski J, Sontag M, Wood T, Kucik JE, Daskalov R, Hudson J.
[Read summary]

Maternal cigarette smoking and congenital heart defects.
J Pediatr. 2015 Apr;166(4):801-4.
Correa A, Levis DM, Tinker SC, Cragan JD.
[Read summary]

Diabetes and Congenital Heart Defects: A Systematic Review, Meta-Analysis, and Modeling Project.
Am J Prev Med. 2015 Feb;48(2):195-204.
Simeone RM, Devine OJ, Marcinkevage JA, Gilboa SM, Razzaghi H, Bardenheier BH, Sharma AJ, Honein MA.
[Read summary] [Read key findings]

Long term outcomes in children with congenital heart disease: National Health Interview Survey.
J Pediatr. 2015 Jan;166(1):119-24.
Razzaghi H, Oster M, Reefhuis J.
[Read summary] [Read key findings]

Role of health insurance on the survival of infants with congenital heart defects
AJPH. 2014; 104: e62-e70.
Kucik JE, Cassell CH, Alverson CH, Donohue P, Tanner JP, Minkovitz CS, Correia J, Burke T, Kirby RS
[Read summary] [Read key findings]

Pediatric inpatient hospital resource use for congenital heart defects
Birth Defects Res Part A Clin Mol Teratol. 2014 Dec;100(12):934-943.
Simeone RM, Oster ME, Cassell CH, Armour BS, Gray DT, Honein MA.
[Read summary] [Read key findings]

Patterns in the prevalence of congenital heart defects, metropolitan Atlanta, 1978 to 2005.
Birth Defects Research Part A. 2013 Feb.
Bjornard, K., Riehle-Colarusso, T., Gilboa S., and Correa A.
[Read summary]

Late detection of critical congenital heart disease among US infants: estimation of the potential impact of proposed universal screening universal screening using pulse oximetry
JAMA Pediatrics. 2013;168(4):361-370.
Peterson C and Ailes E, Riehle-Colarusso T, Oster ME, Olney RS, Cassell CS, Fixler DE, Carmichael SL, Shaw GM, Gilboa SM and the National Birth Defects Prevention Study.
[Read summary]

A public health economic assessment of hospitals’ cost to screen newborns for critical congenital heart disease.
Public Health Rep. 2014 Jan-Feb;129(1):86-93.
Peterson C, Grosse SD, Glidewell J, Garg LF, Van Naarden Braun K, Knapp MM, Beres LM, Hinton CF, Olney RS, Cassell CH.
[Read summary]

Prenatal diagnosis of non-syndromic congenital heart defects
Prenatal Diagnosis. 2013 March;34(3):214-222.
Ailes EC, Gilboa SM, Riehle-Colarusso T, Johnson CY, Hobbs CA, Correa A, Honein MA, National Birth Defects Prevention Study.
[Read summary] [Read key findings]

Hospitalizations, costs, and mortality among infants with critical congenital heart disease: how important is timely detection?
Birth Defects Res Part A Clin Mol Teratol 2013 Oct.;97(10):664-672.
Peterson C, Dawson A, Grosse SD, Riehle-Colarusso T, Olney RS, Tanner JP, Kirby RS, Correia JA, Watkins SM, Cassell CH.
[Read summary]

A public health science agenda for congenital heart defects: report from a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention experts meeting
Journal of the American Heart Association. 2013; 2: e000256
Oster ME, Riehle-Colarusso T, Simeone R, Gurvitz M, Kaltman JR, McConnell M, Rosenthal GL, Honein MA.
[Read summary] [Read key findings]

Factors Associated with Late Detection of Critical Congenital Heart Disease in Newborns
Pediatrics. 2013;132(3):e604-11.
Dawson AL, Cassell CH, Riehle-Colarusso T, Grosse SD, Tanner JP, Kirby RS, Watkins SM, Correia JA, Olney RS.
[Read summary]

Cost-effectiveness of routine screening for critical congenital heart disease in US newborns.
Pediatrics. 2013; doi: 10.1542/peds.2013-0332.
Peterson C, Grosse SD, Oster ME, Olney RS, Cassell CH.
[Read summary]

Results From the New Jersey Statewide Critical Congenital Heart Defects Screening Program
Pediatrics. 2013;132(2):e314-23
Garg LF, Van Naarden Braun K, Knapp MM, Knapp TM, Koppel RI, Hirsch D, Beres LM, Sweatlock J, Olney RS, Glidewell J, Hinton CF, Kemper AR.
[Read summary]

Temporal Trends in Survival Among Infants with Critical Congenital Heart Defects
Pediatrics. 2013;131:e1502–e1508.
Oster ME, Lee KA, Honein MA, Colarusso T, Shin M, Correa A.
[Read summary] [Read key findings]

Rapid Implementation of Statewide Pulse Oximetry Newborn Screening to Detect Critical Congenital Heart Defects—New Jersey, 2011
MMWR 2013; 62:292-294.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
[Read article]

Assessment of Current Practices and Feasibility of Routine Screening for Critical Congenital Heart Defects – Georgia, 2012
Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. 2013;62(15):288-91.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
[Read article]

Selected Birth Defects Data from Population-based Birth Defects Surveillance Programs in the United States, 2005-2009: Featuring Critical Congenital Heart Defects Targeted for Pulse Oximetry Screening
Birth Defects Research Part A: Clinical and Molecular Teratology. 2012;94: 970-983.
Mai CT, Riehle-Colarusso T, O’Halloran A, Cragan JD, Olney RS, Lin A, Feldkamp M, Botto LD, Rickard R, Anderka M, Ethen M, Stanton C, Erhardt J, Canfield M, for the National Birth Defects Prevention Network.
[Read summary] [Read key findings]

Letter to the Editor: Newborn screening for critical congenital heart disease: essential public health roles for birth defects monitoring programs.
Birth Defects Research Part A: Clinical and Molecular Teratology. 2012;94: 965-969.
Olney RS, Botto LD.
[Read summary][Read key finding]

Newborn Screening for Critical Congenital Heart Disease: Potential Roles of Birth Defects Surveillance Programs—United States, 2010-2011
MMWR 2012; 61: 849-853.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
[Read article]

Maternal occupational exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and congenital heart defects among offspring in the national birth defects prevention study.
Birth Defects Research Part A: Clinical and Molecular Teratology. 2012 Nov;94(11):875-881.
Lupo PJ, Symanski E, Langlois PH, Lawson CC, Malik S, Gilboa SM, Lee LJ, Agopian AJ, Desrosiers TA, Waters MA, Romitti PA, Correa A, Shaw GM, Mitchell LE; National Birth Defects Prevention Study.
[Read summary]

Association between maternal occupational exposure to organic solvents and congenital heart defects, National Birth Defects Prevention Study, 1997-2002.
Occupational and Environmental Medicine 2012;69(9):628-635.
Gilboa SM, Correa A, Desrosiers T, Lupo P, Lawson C, Riehle-Colarusso T, Stewart P, van Wijngaarden E.
[Read summary]

Congenital Heart Defects and Major Structural Noncardiac Anomalies, Atlanta, Georgia, 1968 to 2005
J Pediatr. 2011;159(1):70-78.
Miller A, Riehle-Colarusso T, Alverson CJ, Frías JL, Correa A.
[Read summary]

Associations Between Maternal Fever and Influenza and Congenital Heart Defects
J Pediatr. 2011;158(6):990-5.
Oster ME, Riehle-Colarusso T, Alverson CJ, & Correa A.
[Read summary]

Descriptive study of nonsyndromic atrioventricular septal defects in the National Birth Defects Prevention Study, 1997-2005.
Am J Med Genet A. 2011;155A(3):555-64.
Hartman RJ, Riehle-Colarusso T, Lin A, Frias JL, Patel SS, Duwe K, Correa A, Rasmussen SA, and the National Birth Defects Prevention Study.
[Read summary]

Maternal Smoking and Congenital Heart Defects in the Baltimore-Washington Infant Study
Pediatrics. 2011;127(3):e647-53.
Alverson CJ, Strickland MJ, Gilboa SM, & Correa A.
[Read summary]

Letter to the Editor: Ventricular septal defects and the National Birth Defects Prevention Study
Birth Defects Res Part A Clin Mol Teratol. 2011;91(1):66.
Rasmussen SA, Riehle-Colarusso T, Shapira SK, Honein MA, Reefhuis J, and the National Birth Defects Prevention Study.
[Read summary]

Mortality Resulting From Congenital Heart Disease Among Children and Adults in the United States, 1999-2006.
Circulation. 2010 Nov 30;122(22):2254-63.
Gilboa SM, Salemi JL, Nembhard WN, Fixler DE, and Correa A.
[Read summary]

Racial Differences by Gestational Age in Neonatal Deaths Attributable to Congenital Heart Defects — United States, 2003–2006
Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR). 2010;59(37):1208-1211
CDC
[Read article]

Maternal use of bupropion and risk for congenital heart defects
Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2010; 203(1):52.e1-6.
Alwan S, Reefhuis J, Botto LD, Rasmussen SA, Correa A, Friedman JM, and the National Birth Defects Prevention Study.
[Read summary]

Long-term survival of infants with atrioventricular septal defects.
J Pediatr. 2010;156(6):994-1000.
Miller A, Siffel C, Lu C, Riehle-Colarusso T, Frías JL, Correa A.
[Read summary]

Epidemiological Studies of Congenital Heart Defects: Challenges and Opportunities
Congenital Heart Defects: From Origin to Treatment. Edited by Wyszynski DF, Graham TP, Correa-Villasenor A. Oxford University Press, New York, 2010, p. 401-414.
Honein MA, Rasmussen SA.

Health Care Costs of Congenital Heart Defects
Congenital Heart Defects: From Origin to Treatment. Edited by Wyszynski DF, Graham TP, Correa-Villasenor A. Oxford University Press, New York, 2010, p. 493-501.
Boulet SL, Grosse SD, Riehle-Colarusso T, Correa-Villasenor A.

Association Between Prepregnancy Body Mass Index and Congenital Heart Defects
American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology; January 2010; 202(1):51.e1-51.e10.
Gilboa SM, et al.
[Read article]

All Articles

Search a database of articles that have been published by CDC authors within the National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities from 1990 to present.