Symptomatic heart disease in infants: comparison of three studies performed during 1969-1987.
We compare the data of three studies of hospitalized infants with cardiac disease performed between 1967 and 1987. The studies were from the New England Regional Infant Cardiac Program (1967-1974), the Brompton Hospital (1973-1982), and the Northern Great Plains Regional Cardiac Program (1982-1987). Considering differences in classification among the studies, the distribution of cardiac anomalies during the first year of life is similar among the three studies. Although about 30% of infants are admitted during the first week of life and nearly 40% between 3 and 6 months, the proportion of infants admitted between 6 and 12 months was larger (25%) in the latest than in the earliest study (10%). There were also differences in the distribution of the diagnoses at various ages, reflecting changes in the patterns of care during the three eras.
Moller
J H
JH
Northern Great Plains Regional Cardiac Program, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis 55455, USA.
Moodie
D S
DS
Blees
M
M
Norton
J B
JB
Nouri
S
S
D000367:Age Factors; D005260:Female; D006330:Heart Defects, Congenital / Q000145:classification / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D010343:Patient Admission / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012017:Referral and Consultation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology