Senator Thad Cochran
This month, Senator Thad Cochran joined Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Representatives Zack Space (D-OH) and Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) to introduce legislation to promote education and research for congenital heart defects. His support of The Congenital Heart Futures Act is great news for 1.8 million people in America living with congenital heart disease.
“This legislation builds on recommendations by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute to support and augment the research being done on congenital heart disease,” said Senator Cochran. “The research will translate into better clinical treatments for Americans living with congenital heart disease.”
Quick Facts:
- Heart defects are the most common and deadly of all birth defects.
- Approximately 36,000 babies annually are born with a congenital heart defect.
- In 1950, a child born with a CHD had only a 20% chance of survival. Today, survival rates have increased to 90%.
- Survivors of successful childhood intervention face life-long risks, including heart failure, stroke, and rhythmic disorders.
- Each year, nearly twice as many children die from CHD in the U.S. than from childhood cancer, yet funding for pediatric cancer patients is five times higher than funding for CHD.
- For every dollar the government spends in medical funding, only a fraction of a penny goes toward CHD research.
So, thank you, Senator Cochran, for your concern and support of children and adults with Congenital Heart Defects.
Tags: CHD, Congenital Heart Defects, Congenital Heart Futures Act, Senator Thad Cochran
