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Emotional reactivity in infants with congenital heart defects: findings from a large case-cohort study in Norway
K Stene-Larsen1, R E Brandlistuen, H Holmstrøm
1Department of Psychosomatics and Health Behavior, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway. kim.stene-larsen@fhi.no
Insights
Infants with moderate to severe congenital heart defects (CHD) show higher emotional reactivity. This suggests a need for early parental support to manage infant distress and potential long-term behavioral issues.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Cardiology
- Developmental Psychology
- Neonatal Care
Background:
- Improved survival rates for children with congenital heart defects (CHD) highlight the need to understand their psychological development.
- Limited knowledge exists regarding the psychological impact of severe CHD on infants during and after invasive treatments.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between the severity of congenital heart defects (CHD) and infant emotional reactivity at 6 months of age.
- To assess psychological consequences in children with CHD.
Main Methods:
- Prospective data linkage from the Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort Study with a national CHD registry.
- Inclusion of 212 infants with CHD from a cohort of 61,299 infants.
- Maternal reporting of infant emotional reactivity at 6 months using a standardized questionnaire.
Main Results:
- Infants with severe to moderate CHD exhibited a 60% higher likelihood of severe emotional reactivity compared to healthy infants.
- Statistical analysis controlled for significant maternal and child confounding factors.
- Emotional reactivity was assessed using the 85th percentile as a cut-off for severe reactivity.
Conclusions:
- This study is the first to identify elevated emotional reactivity in infants with moderate to severe CHD.
- Findings suggest a need for focused parental attention to soothe distress in these infants.
- Further research is required to determine if this heightened reactivity is temporary or an early indicator of ongoing emotional or behavioral problems.
Aim:
Advances in medical treatment in recent years have led to dramatically improved survival rates of children with severe congenital heart defects (CHD). However, very little is known about the psychological consequences for these children, particularly during and after the early period of invasive treatment. In this study, we investigated the extent to which the severity of the CHD affects the child's emotional reactivity at 6 months of age.
Method:
We linked prospective data from the Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort Study, conducted by the Norwegian Institute of Public Health with a nationwide medical CHD registry and identified 212 infants with CHD in a cohort of 61 299 infants. Mothers reported on their child's emotional reactivity at age 6 months by means of a standardized questionnaire.
Results:
Infants with severe to moderate CHD had 60% higher odds for severe emotional reactivity (cut-off at the 85 percentile) compared with healthy infants, after controlling for important maternal and child confounders.
Conclusion:
Our study is the first to show elevated emotional reactivity in children with moderate to severe CHD, suggesting a need for special parental attention to soothe their distress. Follow-up studies will show whether this emotional reactivity is transient or an early marker of continuing emotional or behavioural problems.
