| PREGNANT women are expected to have their unborn babies checked for congenital heart disease in all local maternity and child health hospitals following the success of a pilot program at some major hospitals, medical experts told a city conference on children's heart disease. About 1 percent of Chinese children suffer from congenital heart disease. It is also the No. 1 cause of death for newborn babies and infants. In Shanghai, there are about 700 new cases every year but only 100 children get medical treatment annually, since many die days after delivery before doctors can confirm the deficiency. Also, many children are brought to the hospital after showing severe symptoms and too sick to survive major surgery, doctors said.<BR><BR>If not treated, half of children with congenital heart disease die before or at the age of one and two thirds die at the age of two.Dr Xu Zhiwei, director of Shanghai Children's Medical Center's heart center, said: "About 90 percent of the patients can be treated through surgery and they will grow up like healthy children. "The key is early diagnosis and treatment," Xu said. |
