For children with heart disease, a risk of attention and behavior problems

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Schoolchildren who required surgery as infants for congenital heart disease (CHD) run a significant risk of having problems with inattention and hyperactivity, and often require remedial services in school. “These children are at risk for academic and behavior problems, and our findings reinforce how important it is to provide them with ongoing follow-up and neurodevelopmental screening,” said study leader Amanda J. Shillingford, M.D., a pediatric cardiologist at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.

The researchers, who reported their findings in the April issue of Pediatrics, studied a group of 109 children, aged five to 10, who had undergone cardiac surgery for complex congenital heart disease at Children’s Hospital when they were newborns. Of that group, 53 children--nearly half of them--were receiving remedial services at school, and 15 percent were in special education classrooms.

Based on questionnaire responses from their parents and teachers, although the majority of the children with CHD scored in the normal range, the rates of high-risk scores for inattention and hyperactivity were three to four times greater than those found in the general population. 

Previous studies at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and other centers found that school-aged children with complex CHD tended to have normal cognitive abilities but were at risk for problems in visual and motor skills, as well as impairments in speech, language and executive functioning (executive functioning refers to capacities for attention, planning, decision-making and problem-solving).

Each year, over 10,000 newborns in the U.S. have CHD severe enough to require surgery before they are one year of age. Advances in medical and surgical treatments have steadily improved survival rates for even the most complex conditions. One such condition is Hypoplastic left heart syndrome, in which a severely underdeveloped left ventricle is unable to pump enough blood to the body. A series of three surgeries during the newborn and infant period is needed to correct this heart defect. Children with this and several other congenital heart conditions were included in the study.

“As survival rates have improved,” said Shillingford, “the important longer-term issue is quality of life for patients and their families as they reach school age and beyond. We hope our findings will help raise awareness among parents, teachers and physicians about the children’s risk of neurodevelopmental problems.” Shillingford added that a next step for researchers is to conduct larger, multicenter studies, with more formalized diagnostic tools, and to develop formalized follow-up protocols for these children. Such follow-up programs are currently being designed at Children’s Hospital.

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Shillingford’s co-authors, all from The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, are Gil Wernovsky, M.D.; Marianne M. Glanzman, M.D.; Richard F. Ittenbach, Ph.D.; Robert J. Clancy, M.D.; and J. William Gaynor, M.D.

About The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia: The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia was founded in 1855 as the nation’s first pediatric hospital. Through its long-standing commitment to providing exceptional patient care, training new generations of pediatric healthcare professionals and pioneering major research initiatives, Children’s Hospital has fostered many discoveries that have benefited children worldwide. Its pediatric research program is among the largest in the country, ranking third in National Institutes of Health funding. In addition, its unique family-centered care and public service programs have brought the 430-bed hospital recognition as a leading advocate for children and adolescents.

Contact: John Ascenzi

267-426-6055
Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia

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