Congenital heart defects are often diagnosed in infancy, how little hats are helping

MILWAUKEE -- February is American Heart Month! Dr. Scott Cameron, a pediatric cardiologist with Aurora Health Care, joins FOX6 WakeUp to discuss congenital heart defects and "Little Hats, Big Hearts."

Little Hats, Big Hearts is a program from the American Heart Association to help raise awareness of congenital heart defects and how we can help prevent them. It started in 2014, with just 300 hats in Chicago.  Now, hundreds of thousands of hats are delivered to hospitals in 40 states, including all Aurora birthing centers in Wisconsin

This is the fourth year Aurora has participated in this program. Hats are made by American Heart Association volunteers and our Aurora volunteers.

Congenital means that the defects are existing at birth. Congenital heart defects are structural problems in the heart or in the major blood vessels that go to the heart.  Recent progress in diagnosis and treatment makes it possible to fix most defects, even those that used to lead to a lower quality of life, or lower survival rate.

There are many different types of heart defects.  Valve issues, where heart valves don`t open and close properly, which allows blood to not flow correctly is one general type of CHD.  If there are holes in the heart, in the walls between the chambers of the heart, or in the aorta, which carries the blood to the heart, that is another type of CHD And malformations, where parts of the hearts or valves aren't where they should be, is another general type.  Chances today are better than ever that the issue can be corrected, and a child can grow up to lead a normal life.