Neurodevelopment in children with hypoplastic left heart syndrome.
OBJECTIVE
To assess neurodevelopment in children with hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS) or other types of functionally single ventricle (univentricular heart, UVH) and to estimate the effect of possible clinical predictors on outcome.


METHODS
A total of 22 patients with HLHS and 14 with UVH, surviving after palliative surgery performed in the same center, and 42 healthy control subjects were examined at a median age of 30.2 months neurologically and according to the Bayley Scales of Infant Development in a population based prospective neurodevelopmental follow-up study.


RESULTS
The mean Mental Developmental Index was significantly lower (89.9) in patients with HLHS than in control subjects (105.5, P<.001), whereas there was no difference between patients with UVH (98.5) and control subjects. The mean Psychomotor Developmental Index in patients with HLHS (80.7, P<.001) as well as in those with UVH (94.5, P=.016) was significantly inferior to that in control subjects (105.3).


CONCLUSIONS
In patients with HLHS, mean Mental Developmental Index lags behind control subjects. Psychomotor Developmental Index is impaired in patients with both HLHS and UVH. Routine neurodevelopmental follow-up is recommended for this seriously ill patient group.
Sarajuuri
Anne
A
Division of Child Neurology, Department of Gynecology and Pediatrics, Helsinki University Central Hospital, Helsinki, Finland. Anne.Sarajuuri@hus.fi
Jokinen
Eero
E
Puosi
Riina
R
Mildh
Leena
L
Mattila
Ilkka
I
Lano
Aulikki
A
Lönnqvist
Tuula
T
D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D018636:Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome / Q000150:complications* / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D009420:Nervous System / Q000254:growth & development; D009422:Nervous System Diseases / Q000209:etiology*; D011446:Prospective Studies