Quality of Life of Children Born with a Congenital Heart Defect

Neil Derridj; Damien Bonnet; Johanna Calderon; Pascal Amedro; Nathalie Bertille; Nathalie Lelong; Francois Goffinet; Babak Khoshnood; Romain Guedj

doi:10.1016/j.jpeds.2022.01.003

Quality of Life of Children Born with a Congenital Heart Defect

J Pediatr. 2022 May:244:148-153.e5. doi: 10.1016/j.jpeds.2022.01.003. Epub 2022 Jan 13.

Authors

Neil Derridj¹, Damien Bonnet², Johanna Calderon³, Pascal Amedro⁴, Nathalie Bertille⁵, Nathalie Lelong⁵, Francois Goffinet⁵, Babak Khoshnood⁵, Romain Guedj⁶

Affiliations

¹ Center of Research in Epidemiology and Statistics, Inserm, INRA, University of Paris, Paris, France; M3C-Pediatric Cardiology, Necker Enfants Malades, AP-HP, University of Paris, Paris, France. Electronic address: neil.derridj@inserm.fr.
² M3C-Pediatric Cardiology, Necker Enfants Malades, AP-HP, University of Paris, Paris, France.
³ Physiology and Experimental Medicine Heart Muscles, UMR CNRS 9214, Inserm U1046, University of Montpellier, Montpellier, France; Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA.
⁴ Paediatric and Congenital Cardiology Department, M3C National Reference Centre, Bordeaux University Hospital, IHU Liryc, Electrophysiology and Heart Modelling Institute, Bordeaux University Foundation, Pessac, France.
⁵ Center of Research in Epidemiology and Statistics, Inserm, INRA, University of Paris, Paris, France.
⁶ Center of Research in Epidemiology and Statistics, Inserm, INRA, University of Paris, Paris, France; Pediatric Emergency Department, Faculty of Medicine, AP-HP, Armand Trousseau Hospital, Sorbonne University, Paris, France.

PMID: 35033563
DOI: 10.1016/j.jpeds.2022.01.003

Abstract

Objectives: To identify subgroups with a congenital heart defect (CHD) at risk of health-related quality of life (QoL) impairment at 8 years of age according to their medical and surgical management.

Study design: From a prospective population-based cohort study, 598 patients with CHD were subdivided according to their medical and surgical management: (1) CHD followed-up in an outpatient clinic, (2) complete repair before age 3 years, (3) complete repair after age 3 years, (4) palliative repair, or (5) CHD with spontaneous resolution (reference subgroup). Self-reported QoL and parent-reported QoL were measured using the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory version 4.0 (score range, 0-100) at age 8 years. Multivariable regression analysis and Cohen effect size were used to compare outcomes across the CHD groups.

Results: Self-reported and parent-reported QoL scores for the palliative repair subgroup were lower (β = -2.1 [95% CI, -3.9 to -0.2] and β = -16.0 [95% CI, -22.4 to -9.5], respectively), with a large effect size (δ = -0.9 [95% CI, -1.4 to -0.4] and δ = -1.3 [95% CI, -1.8 to -0.7], respectively). Parent-reported QoL scores for the complete repair after age 3 years subgroup were lower (β = -9.2; 95% CI, -15.0 to -3.5), with a large effect size (δ = -0.9; 95% CI, -1.4 to -0.5). Self-reported QoL scores for the complete repair before age 3 years subgroup was lower (β = -1.3; 95% CI, -1.9 to -0.6), with a small effect size (δ = -0.4; 95% CI, -0.6 to -0.2).

Conclusions: The QoL of children with CHD who experienced a hospital intervention is reduced at age 8 years. Patient age at the last cardiac intervention might influence QoL at 8 years.

Keywords: congenital heart defect; population-based study; quality of life.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Child
Child, Preschool
Cohort Studies
Cross-Sectional Studies
Heart Defects, Congenital* / surgery
Humans
Prospective Studies
Quality of Life*