Tiny Tickers

A baby is born with congenital heart disease (CHD) every two hours in the UK, yet only around half of congenital heart defects are picked up during routine prenatal scanning. It is absolutely vital that we provide a safety net for the 1,000 babies each year who leave hospital with their heart defect undetected. Early detection rates of congenital heart disease improves a baby's chances of survival and long-term quality of life. Babies who are discharged from hospital without a diagnosis may fall into heart failure before anyone knows how critically ill they are. This can cause long term health issues or disabilities and sadly, some babies will die before they can access the help they nee... read more A baby is born with congenital heart disease (CHD) every two hours in the UK, yet only around half of congenital heart defects are picked up during routine prenatal scanning. It is absolutely vital that we provide a safety net for the 1,000 babies each year who leave hospital with their heart defect undetected. Early detection rates of congenital heart disease improves a baby's chances of survival and long-term quality of life. Babies who are discharged from hospital without a diagnosis may fall into heart failure before anyone knows how critically ill they are. This can cause long term health issues or disabilities and sadly, some babies will die before they can access the help they need. National prenatal detection rates have risen from 21% to over 50% since Tiny Tickers was launched - and we're proud of the impact we've had. But although great strides have been made in detecting heart problems, there is still far more that needs to be done. Sadly, heart defects are still one of the biggest killers in babies under 1, being responsible for 1 in 12 infant deaths. We are determined to improve this statistic. We want every baby to be detected as soon as medically possible. Our work delivers real life-saving results to heart babies, their families, and the health professionals who look after them. We've continued to ensure the voice of parents is heard, and their views valued, by those who set standards in CHD services. And we continue to be a source of comfort and support to all those heart families facing a new diagnosis or an uncertain future. We are a small charity, but with the help of all of our supporters and the heart community, we can continue to deliver a huge impact for all tiny hearts. Please visit our website www.tinytickers.org for more details