Congenital Heart Defect Awareness Week is observed every year beginning on February 7th and ending on February 14th. The purpose of this holiday is to promote awareness about congenital heart defects and to work towards finding a cure. Congenital heart defects are some of the most common birth defects and over 40,000 babies are born with this defect every year.

That means that about 1 out of 100 babies born in the U.S are born with this defect each year. Unfortunately, research funding has been woefully inadequate over the past few decades, and this week hopes to change that fact.

The History Of Congenital Heart Defect Awareness Week

This holiday week was first created during the 1960s after U.S President Lyndon B. Johnson declared February to be the first American Heart Month in the U.S. It’s been observed ever since to raise awareness about congenital heart defects and to raise money to find a cure for this condition.

Observing Congenital Heart Defect Awareness Week

All throughout this week organizations such as The Children’s Heart Foundation and Mended Little Hearts hold events to raise awareness and to raise money for a cure. Some of these events include marathons, heart walks, charity races, and special exhibitions. There are also national advertising campaigns launched during this week to raise the public’s awareness about this category of health conditions. A category of congenital heart defects includes Atrial Septal Defects, Patent Ductus Arteriosus, and Aortic Valve Stenosis.

Of course, people who want to celebrate this week on their own certainly can by spreading the word about it, holding fundraising events, or donating money to an organization that’s searching for a cure. To spread the word about this holiday online, people can use the hashtag #CongenitalHeartDefectAwarenessWeek on social media. It’s important to raise awareness about congenital heart defects so that one day we can find a cure.