New to CHD?

Welcome to the Adult Congenital Heart Association (ACHA) website! If you are new to congenital heart disease (CHD), you have come to the right place.

Congenital heart disease describes a range of defects that affect the way the heart works. A congenital heart defect is a structural abnormality within the heart that develops before birth. Heart defects include holes in the heart; misplaced, malformed, and/or missing valves, vessels, and heart chambers; or a combination of those. They can be diagnosed prenatally, at birth, later in childhood or even in adulthood. Congenital heart defects are the number one birth defect, occurring in 1 out of 100 people. Nearly 2 million adults in the United States are living with CHD.

To help you get started, here are a few recommended resources to review:

If you have any questions or want to get involved, please contact us!