Impact of congenital heart disease on siblings: A review.
Roses Parker, Sarah Houghton, Elizabeth Bichard and 1 others
PMID 32216565WHAT IT FOUND
Parents and siblings report that healthy siblings of children with congenital heart disease can feel neglected, jealous, and worried, with changes in school, social life, and family routines.
The evidence is old and often parent-reported.
Key findings
01In one study, 19% of siblings felt neglected and 33% felt jealous, while 11% had school performance affected.
02Siblings of children with CHD had lower quality of life than siblings of children with other chronic conditions and more behavioral or internalizing problems than siblings of children with cystic fibrosis or diabetes.
03No intervention studies focused on siblings were found, and one child-focused program had benefits for siblings described by parents.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for OTsWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The review included 11 studies, and 5 were conducted over 20 years ago, so they may not reflect current care. Only four studies used sibling reports, and most relied on parents. Some studies found parents overestimated sibling difficulties. Most studies were rated poorly for generalizability or sampling, and definitions of congenital heart disease varied widely. Only four studies used a control group. The included studies had different designs and contexts. No intervention studies focused on siblings were found, so the review cannot say what support works.
Declared interests
The authors declared no potential conflicts of interest. London South Bank University provided capacity building funding to help one author compile the manuscript.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read this review as proof that sibling support programs improve outcomes. No intervention studies focused on siblings were found, and the one program was aimed at the child with CHD, with sibling benefits described by parents.