Neurodevelopmental outcome and behavior in children treated for congenital heart disease

We examined the neuropsychological, behavioral, and emotional profile of 94 children subjected to infant cardiac surgery for CHD, 6 to 12 years postoperatively by comparing outcomes to that of a healthy age-, gender-, and socio-economic status matched control group. Parents completed behavioral checklists (Achenbach Child Behavior Checklist for Children aged 6-18) and a questionnaire regarding cognitive and emotional functioning. Preoperative, operative and postoperative hospitalization variables were retrieved from medical files to explore associations with long-term neurodevelopment. Our results confirm that survivors of cardiac surgery in infancy are more likely than the general population to display learning problems, language difficulties, inattention and reduced social skills in combination with requiring more remedial services such as special education as consequence of reported school problems. Moreover, compared to a healthy control group, CHD children are more likely to display problem behavior predominantly in the internalizing spectrum