Botto says the average age of death increased from 21 years to 41 years in the past two decades, based on what's called the 75th percentile method, meaning the age reached by 75 percent of a given population. The median age at death for those born with heart defects also has gone up, from 6 months to 12 months, the study says. The study found the death rate 19 percent higher among blacks. What causes heart defects at birth remains somewhat of a mystery. A pregnant woman's use of certain medications, illegal drugs or alcohol and some illnesses have been linked to an increased risk of heart problems at birth.
Researchers also presume that genes play a role, although few direct links yet have been proven.
Part of the reason congenital heart defects are so frustrating is that really almost anyone is at risk for them. Medical science cannot yet prevent malformed hearts from developing. What To Do To learn more about congenital heart defects, visit the March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation online. For more on the condition among adults, check information from the Mayo Clinic . This Web site is a free resource.