PETALING JAYA: About one in every 100 newborn babies in the country suffer from congenital heart disease or from congenital heart defects (CHD), says the Health Ministry.
This means that about 5,000 babies are born with this condition, based on the 500,000 births every year.
The ministry said that 95% of cases have unknown causes, but the risks increase with the use of banned drugs and alcohol during pregnancies, smoking, gestational diabetes, getting viral infections (Rubela) during pregnancies, and genetic problems such as chromosomal abnormalities (Down Syndrome).
“Early detection can reduce the complications to the baby and prepare the parents to accept their baby’s condition,” it said in a Facebook post on Sunday (Feb 14) in conjunction with the Congenital Heart Defect Awareness Day.