Congenital heart defects, the #1 birth defect, affect at least 1 in 100 babies born throughout the world yet when asked what causes heart defects, most doctors have had to admit they don’t really know. Many doctors tell parents that their children’s heart defects are “flukes of nature.” Occasionally heart defects are linked to particular diseases mothers were exposed to while pregnant, drugs they took or common to a family, but most of the time, doctors have had no clue what has caused complex congenital heart defects . . . until now. Finally, thanks to the advent of new tests and dissatisfied with vague terms like “flukes of nature” doctors are delving deeper into the actual causes of our world’s #1 birth defect – heart defects. Listen to Episode #5 of Heart to Heart with Anna to find out what kinds of genes can cause heart defects, who should seek genetic counseling and how genetic counseling can save a person’s life in this show: Genetics in the Congenital Heart Defect Community.