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Sleep Patterns in Young Children with Congenital Heart Disease

Anjali Sadhwani1, Samantha Butler1, Valerie Rofeberg2

  • 1Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA; Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA.

The Journal of Pediatrics
|August 27, 2022
PubMed

Insights

Toddlers with congenital heart disease (CHD) show similar sleep patterns to healthy children, but with more co-sleeping and disrupted sleep in those 18-23 months old. Maternal education and medical complexity impact sleep quality in these young patients.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Cardiology
  • Sleep Medicine
  • Developmental Pediatrics

Background:

  • Congenital heart disease (CHD) affects numerous children globally, necessitating comprehensive care beyond cardiac function.
  • Understanding the impact of CHD on developmental milestones, including sleep, is crucial for holistic child well-being.

Observation:

  • Sleep patterns of 419 toddlers with CHD were analyzed.
  • Comparisons were made against normative sleep data for the general toddler population.

Findings:

  • Toddlers with CHD exhibited comparable overall sleep patterns to controls.
  • A notable exception was the increased likelihood of co-sleeping (sleeping in parents' room) within the CHD cohort.
  • Disrupted sleep was more prevalent in toddlers aged 18-23 months with CHD.
  • Lower maternal education and higher medical complexity were significantly associated with disrupted sleep patterns.

Implications:

  • Findings suggest a need for targeted sleep assessments and interventions for toddlers with CHD, particularly those aged 18-23 months.
  • The association between disrupted sleep, maternal education, and medical complexity highlights the importance of socioeconomic and clinical factors in pediatric sleep health.
  • Further research into the mechanisms linking CHD, medical complexity, and sleep disturbances is warranted to improve quality of life for affected children and families.

Keywords:
cardiacneurodevelopmentregulationtoddlers

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