INSPOHEALTH

Congenital heart disease, often referred to as “hole in the heart,” is a structural problem of the heart that develops before birth, usually around the sixth week of pregnancy when the baby’s heart is forming. For some reason, whether genetic, environmental, or due to maternal health factors, the heart doesn’t form properly, leading to defects in its walls, valves, or blood vessels. Some of these conditions are detected before birth, others only weeks or months after delivery, and in some cases, not until adolescence or adulthood. Here are some key statistics on the prevalence of congenital heart disease (CHD) in Nigeria (and some in Africa) to support your article: Statistics  A study of neonates in a tertiary hospital in Benin City found a birth prevalence of  14.4 per 1,000 live births  (i.e., about 1.44%) among 2,849 neonates. ( PubMed ) A multicentre echocardiographic study across three Nigerian cities found that among children referred for echo, the most common CHD ...