The Children's Heart Foundation Funds New Research into Congenital Heart Defects

The Children's Heart Foundation has funded more than $500,000 in new research into congenital heart defects - America's most common birth defect

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The Children's Heart Foundation

Dec 19, 2019, 11:54 ET

NORTHBROOK, Ill., Dec. 19, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The Children's Heart Foundation, the nation's leading organization solely dedicated to funding congenital heart defect (CHD) research, has announced the funding of three new CHD research grants:

Kristopher B. Deatrick, MD, University of Maryland Children's Hospital: Stem Cell Therapy for Post-Cardiopulmonary Bypass Low Cardiac Output Syndrome. This research will help obtain a better understanding of the cellular mechanisms and tissue changes that occur in response to cardiopulmonary bypass following surgical treatment for cardiomyopathy.
Allen Dale Everett, MD, Johns Hopkins University: Role of Cyclohexanone Toxicity in Mediating Congenital Cardiac Surgical Outcomes. This research will look to improve congenital cardiac surgical outcomes by reducing solvent exposure from medical plastics within hospital settings.
Young Jae Chun, PhD, University of Pittsburgh: A Self-Growing Percutaneous Heart Valve Frame to Treat Congenital Heart Disease. This research project will work to create a heart valve that grows with a child, eliminating the need for multiple heart surgeries.

Within the U.S., nearly 40,000 babies are born each year with a congenital heart defect, making it America's most common birth defect. These new research efforts will help experts learn more about the long-term care needs of individuals living with CHDs, as well as how to continue to improve their overall quality of life.

The Children's Heart Foundation's mission is to fund the most promising research to advance the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of congenital heart defects.

To date, The Children's Heart Foundation has funded more than $13 million of CHD research and scientific collaborations – efforts that have improved survival rates, longevity, and quality of life for individuals living with CHDs in dramatic and life-changing ways. In the past two decades, death rates from congenital heart defects have dropped by 37.5 percent. As a result, the Foundation is now supporting research on the developmental, transitional, and long-term care needs affecting the millions of Americans with CHDs who are living longer lives than ever before.

"We're proud to remain the nation's leader in the field of congenital heart defect research," said Barbara Newhouse, CEO of The Children's Heart Foundation. "Through our ongoing commitment to research focused on CHDs, we strive to make a lasting impact on the lives of those living with congenital heart defects. Together, we are working toward a world in which everyone born with a CHD can live a long and healthy life."

About The Children's Heart Foundation

The Children's Heart Foundation is the country's leading organization solely committed to funding congenital heart defect (CHD) research. The Children's Heart Foundation's mission is to fund the most promising research to advance the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of congenital heart defects. To date, The Children's Heart Foundation has funded more than $13 million dollars of CHD research and scientific collaborations. For more information or to join our cause, visit www.childrensheartfoundation.org. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

SOURCE The Children's Heart Foundation