Health-Related Quality of Life after Open-Heart Surgery

• Published in: The Journal of pediatrics Vol. 164; no. 2; pp. 254 - 258.e1
• Main Authors: Werner, Helene, PhD, Latal, Beatrice, MD, Valsangiacomo Buechel, Emanuela, MD, Beck, Ingrid, Landolt, Markus A., PhD
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 01.02.2014
• Subjects: Cardiac Surgical Procedures; Child, Preschool; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Heart Defects, Congenital - psychology; Heart Defects, Congenital - surgery; Humans; Infant; Male; Pediatrics; Postoperative Period; Prognosis; Prospective Studies; Quality of Life; Social Adjustment; Surveys and Questionnaires; SES; Health-related quality of life; Socioeconomic status; HRQoL; Congenital heart disease; TAPQOL; CHD; Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research Academic Medical Centre Preschool Children Quality of Life
• ISSN: 0022-3476; 1097-6833
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jpeds.2013.10.022

Objectives To determine health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in 1-year-old infants with congenital heart disease (CHD), to follow-up with these children at age 4 years, and to examine predictors of HRQoL. Study design Parents of 144 infants who had undergone cardiopulmonary bypass surgery for CHD before age 6 months were prospectively included in this cohort study. Parents completed a standardized questionnaire on child HRQoL at 1 year and 4 years of age; medical data were extracted from the patients' hospital records. Results Parents reported a significant reduction of the children's physical functioning compared with healthy controls at age 1 year. At age 4 years, children with CHD had poorer cognitive functioning but better social functioning compared with healthy controls. Lower HRQoL at age 4 years was not significantly predicted by univentricular or biventricular CHD but was predicted by the presence of an underlying genetic defect, tube feeding at 1 year, and lower HRQoL at 1 year. Conclusion This study shows that HRQoL of infants and preschool-age children with CHD is impaired in physical and cognitive dimensions. Children with lower overall HRQoL at age 1 year, an underlying genetic defect, and tube feeding need to be monitored carefully to provide appropriate and timely interventions.