Seven research projects aimed at uncovering the mysteries of congenital heart defects have been given a major financial boost.
The American Heart Association (AHA) and The Children's Heart Foundation have teamed up to put $800,000 toward these studies -- and to put $22.5 million toward congenital heart defect research programs through through 2021.
“This new research will help bring innovative solutions to congenital heart defect survival rates and care,” William Foley, executive director of The Children’s Heart Foundation, said.
Each year, about 40,000 children in the U.S. are born with heart defects.
The studies will be on a variety of subjects, including the protection of an infant's body during heart surgery and non-invasive methods of identifying heart conditions in babies.
Recipients for the first round of funding are Dr. John Kheir of Boston Children’s Hospital; Dr. Chulan Kwon of Johns Hopkins University; Dr. John LaDisa of Marquette University; Dr. Lucile Ryckebusch of University of California, San Diego; Ariel Rydeen of Cincinnati Children’s Hospital; Juliet Varghese of Ohio State University; and Dr. Mary Wagner of Emory University.
“This is the first of many steps in helping to understand the cause of these defects and, hopefully, in creating medical breakthroughs that will reduce the rate at which they occur,” AHA CEO Nancy Brown said.
