International Heart Awareness Day

You may already have members of your patient network who have a compelling story to tell and who can speak during your Heart Awareness Day activities.

Congenital heart defects are present at birth and can affect the structure of a person’s heart and its ability to work properly. As medical care and treatment have advanced, people with heart defects are living longer and healthier lives, many into adulthood.

Heart defects can be diagnosed before birth, at birth, or after a baby leaves the hospital.

Some heart defects can be found during pregnancy by looking at ultrasound pictures of the heart of the developing baby. Other heart defects aren’t detected until birth through newborn screening, or later in life, during childhood or adulthood. Screening newborns for heart defects allows them to be treated early and may prevent other health problems or early death.

International Heart Awareness Day has been celebrated on February 14 since 1999. The aim is to raise awareness of the existence of this health problem that seriously compromises the quality of life and life expectancy of babies and children.