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Changes in Motor Development During a 4-Year Follow-up on Children With Univentricular Heart Defects

Heidi Mäenpää1, Arja Häkkinen, Anne Sarajuuri

  • 1Department of Pediatric Neurology (Ms Mäenpää and Dr Sarajuuri), Helsinki University Central Hospital, Helsinki, Finland; and Departments of Health Sciences and Physical Medicine (Dr Häkkinen), Jyväskylä University, Jyväskylä, Finland.

Pediatric Physical Therapy : the Official Publication of the Section on Pediatrics of the American Physical Therapy Association
|September 24, 2016
PubMed

Insights

Children with hypoplastic left heart syndrome and univentricular heart show delayed motor development compared to healthy peers. Early physiotherapy may support motor skills in some children with univentricular heart defects.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Cardiology
  • Developmental Pediatrics
  • Neuroscience

Background:

  • Congenital heart defects (CHDs) like hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS) and univentricular heart (UVH) conditions can impact neurodevelopment.
  • Motor development is a crucial aspect of early childhood development, and its assessment is vital for identifying potential delays.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To compare motor development trajectories from 1 to 5 years of age in children with HLHS and UVH compared to a control group.
  • To investigate the relationship between brain imaging findings and motor development in these pediatric populations.

Main Methods:

  • Longitudinal study comparing motor development in 18 children with HLHS, 12 with UVH, and 42 controls.
  • Utilized the Alberta Infant Motor Scale (AIMs) and Movement Assessment Battery for Children (Movement ABC) for motor assessments.
  • Correlated motor scores with brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings.

Main Results:

  • Children with HLHS and UVH demonstrated significantly lower scores on AIMs at age 1 and Movement ABC at age 5 compared to controls.
  • Abnormalities on brain MRI were associated with lower motor scores and a decrease in relative motor function over time.
  • Children with HLHS and UVH exhibited delayed motor development across multiple domains.

Conclusions:

  • Children with HLHS and UVH experience significant delays in motor development.
  • Brain structural abnormalities play a role in motor deficits observed in children with CHDs.
  • Physiotherapeutic interventions may be beneficial for improving motor outcomes in some children with UVH.
Abstract

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