title: Trisomy 21 and congenital heart disease: effect of timing of initial echocardiogram.
abstract: Current recommendations for infants with trisomy 21 include an echocardiogram in the first month of life. The purposes of this study were to determine whether outcome and presence of transient shunting differed between infants with echocardiograms in the first month (Group I) and those performed later (Group II). Transient patent ductus arteriosus was more commonly seen in Group I. Presence of a patent foramen ovale, failure to return for follow-up, and surgical mortality rate did not differ between the 2 groups. A more selective policy related to timing of the initial echocardiogram in asymptomatic infants with trisomy 21 appears to be warranted.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA.
authors.forename: Sadia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ghaffar
authors.forename: Matthew S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Lemler
authors.forename: David E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Fixler
authors.forename: Claudio
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ramaciotti
mesh_terms: D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D004314:Down Syndrome / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D004374:Ductus Arteriosus, Patent / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D006330:Heart Defects, Congenital / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D010043:Outcome and Process Assessment, Health Care; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D013997:Time Factors; D014463:Ultrasonography