About 1% of all babies born each year in the United States are born with a congenital heart defect (CHD), and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report that number is increasing.

Despite the prevalence of CHDs, there is a poor understanding of what causes these defects. But new research may provide some insight into genetic factors that are causing the problems, and researchers at Columbia University may have found a potential treatment for one in a surprising source: over-the-counter cough suppressant.