Motor development in infants with complex congenital heart disease: A longitudinal study.
Darlene Huisenga, Sacha la Bastide-van Gemert, Andrew H Van Bergen and 2 others
PMID 35665492WHAT IT FOUND
Infants with complex congenital heart disease scored lower on motor quality tests than healthy peers, with 45% to 58% falling below the 15th centile.
Single ventricle physiology and low oxygen at discharge predicted worse motor development, particularly in movement variation and milestones.
Key findings
01Children with CCHD had significantly lower total IMP scores than the reference group, with 6 to 14 times greater risk of scoring below the 15th centile.
02Infants with single ventricle physiology scored on average 3.03% lower than those with two ventricles, and showed consistently lower performance scores throughout infancy.
03Outpatient or home physical therapy intervention in these infants generally did not start before the age of 6 months.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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What it does not show
The study was conducted at a single institution, which may limit generalizability to all children with CCHD. The CCHD group had a higher prevalence of preterm birth and lower gestational age compared to the reference group, though analyses were adjusted for these factors. The study lacked standardized neuroimaging protocols and did not measure regional brain oxygen delivery, so the direct link between brain injury and motor scores could not be fully established. The reference group was Dutch, which may introduce cultural or demographic differences compared to the US-based study group.
Declared interests
The study was supported by non-U.S. government funding. The authors declared no specific conflicts of interest related to the treatment or assessment tools used.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume that lower IMP scores indicate permanent brain damage or cerebral palsy. The IMP measures the quality of motor behavior, and deficits in variation and adaptability can be influenced by prolonged hospitalization and limited movement experiences, which may be modifiable with early intervention.