Related Experiment Video
Updated: Oct 29, 2025
Measuring Cardiac Autonomic Nervous System ANS Activity in Children
Published on: April 29, 2013
Changing Spectrum of Cardiac Diseases in Children: An Extended Longitudinal Observation Study of a Pediatric Cardiac
Chun-Min Fu1, Jou-Kou Wang2, Mei-Hwan Wu2
1Department of Pediatrics, National Taiwan University Hospital Hsinchu Branch, Hsinchu.
Insights
Pediatric cardiac disease spectrum remains stable, with congenital heart disease and EKG abnormalities most common. Rheumatic heart disease has declined, while Kawasaki disease is the leading acquired heart condition in children.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Cardiology
- Public Health Screening
- Epidemiology of Childhood Diseases
Background:
- Pediatric cardiac disease spectrum differs from adults and evolves with medical and socioeconomic changes.
- Understanding these trends is crucial for effective medical resource allocation.
- Data on pediatric cardiac disease spectrum and trends were previously unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To delineate the spectrum and trends of cardiac diseases in children.
- To analyze data from a longitudinal pediatric cardiac screening program.
- To inform resource allocation and public health strategies.
Main Methods:
- Conducted citywide cardiac screening programs for children in Taipei from 2002 to 2018.
- Evaluated participants using questionnaires, electrocardiography (EKG), phonocardiography, and physical exams.
- Pediatric cardiologists provided final diagnoses for suspected cardiac lesions.
Main Results:
- Median prevalence of cardiac lesions was 19.60/1000 children.
- Congenital heart disease (32.02%) and EKG abnormalities (33.34%) were most common.
- Rheumatic heart disease showed a significant decline; Kawasaki disease was the most common acquired condition.
Conclusions:
- The spectrum of pediatric cardiac diseases has remained largely unchanged in recent decades.
- Rheumatic heart disease has declined or disappeared in the Taipei metropolitan area.
- Congenital heart disease and EKG abnormalities are prevalent, with Kawasaki disease being the most common acquired heart disease.
Background:
The spectrum of cardiac diseases in children is distinct from that in adults, and changes with advances in medical care and socioeconomic conditions. Such data are important for the allocation of medical resources, but are unclear. Based on a longitudinal pediatric cardiac screening program, we sought to delineate the spectrum and the trends.
Methods:
From 2002 to 2018, citywide screening programs of cardiac diseases for children were performed in Taipei, Taiwan. Participants, mainly students entering the first grade of elementary school, were evaluated using questionnaires, simplified 4-lead electrocardiography (EKG), phonocardiography, and physical examinations. Those suspected of having abnormal cardiac lesions received detailed evaluations by pediatric cardiologists for a final diagnosis.
Results:
The median prevalence of cardiac lesions in the children was 19.60/1000 (range from 14.9 to 24.65/1000), including congenital heart disease (32.02%), EKG abnormalities (33.34%), mitral valve prolapse (15.17%), Kawasaki disease (6.89%), rheumatic heart disease (0.17%) and others (12.41%). A significant time trend was only observed in a trend of decline in rheumatic heart disease. The median prevalence rates of congenital heart disease, Kawasaki disease, rheumatic heart disease, mitral valve prolapse, and EKG abnormalities were 6.20, 1.37, 0, 3.12, and 6.46 per 1000 children, respectively.
Conclusions:
This study, based on a citywide cardiac screening program, indicates that the spectrum of cardiac diseases in children has not changed in recent decades, except for a decline or disappearance of rheumatic heart disease in the Taipei metropolitan area. While congenital heart disease and EKG abnormalities were the most common, Kawasaki disease was the most commonly acquired heart disease in children.
More Related Videos
11:27A Modified Sonographic Algorithm for Image Acquisition in Life-Threatening Emergencies in the Critically Ill Newborn
Published on: April 7, 2023
05:56Implementation of Non-invasive Point of Care Transient Elastography for Evaluation of Liver Disease in Pediatric Populations with Cystic Fibrosis
Published on: August 29, 2025
Related Concept Videos
01:20Imaging Studies for Cardiovascular System III: X-Ray
Definition and Purpose
An X-ray, or radiograph, is a non-invasive method that uses ionizing radiation to take images of internal structures. It is mainly used in cardiac imaging to examine the heart, lungs, and major blood vessels, aiming to identify abnormalities in the heart's size, shape, and position, such as heart failure, congenital defects, and vascular...
01:30Pulse rhythm
Conversely, an irregular pulse pattern is termed dysrhythmia, stemming from disruptions in cardiac...
01:29Cardiomyopathy III: Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy
01:17Imaging Studies for Cardiovascular System I:Echocardiography
Indications: Echocardiography is utilized to diagnose heart failure, valve disorders, and myocardial infarction. It also assesses cardiac structures' size, shape, and motion,...
02:20Longitudinal Research
01:23Mitral Stenosis II: Clinical features and Diagnostic Tests