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Adaptive Functioning and Sleep Quality: Associations in Young Children with Congenital Heart Disease
Danielle M Caissie1, Anna Dollimount2, Corey R Tomczak3
1University of Regina (Department of Psychology), Regina, SK, Canada. danielle.caissie@uregina.ca.
Insights
Children with congenital heart disease (CHD) experience poorer sleep quality and adaptive functioning compared to healthy peers. Adequate sleep duration is linked to better adaptive functioning in children with CHD.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Cardiology
- Developmental Psychology
- Sleep Medicine
Background:
- Congenital heart disease (CHD) is a leading birth anomaly, posing risks for adaptive functioning challenges in children.
- Sleep difficulties, including sleep-disordered breathing, are prevalent in children with CHD and linked to increased mortality in infants.
- Understanding the interplay between sleep and adaptive functioning is crucial for managing CHD outcomes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the associations between adaptive functioning and sleep quality (duration and disruptions) in children with CHD.
- To compare sleep quality and adaptive functioning in children with CHD versus healthy children.
- To identify potential targets for clinical intervention in pediatric CHD care.
Main Methods:
- A comparative study involving children with CHD (n=23) and healthy children (n=38).
- Assessment of adaptive functioning across Conceptual, Practical, and General domains.
- Measurement of sleep quality, including sleep duration, nighttime awakenings, and parent-reported snoring.
Main Results:
- A significant association was found between mean hours slept and overall adaptive functioning in the CHD group (r=.57, p=.005).
- Children with CHD exhibited lower adaptive functioning in Conceptual (p=.039) and Practical (p=.030) domains compared to controls.
- The CHD group showed increased time awake at night (p=.033) and higher rates of snoring (p=.022).
Conclusions:
- Sleep quality, particularly sleep duration, is significantly associated with adaptive functioning in children with CHD.
- Children with CHD demonstrate impaired adaptive functioning and poorer sleep quality compared to healthy children.
- Further research is needed to elucidate these associations and inform clinical practice guidelines for pediatric CHD management.
Abstract:
Congenital heart disease (CHD) is one of today's leading birth anomalies. Children with CHD are at risk for adaptive functioning challenges. Sleep difficulties are also common in children with CHD. Indeed, sleep-disordered breathing, a common type of sleep dysfunction, is associated with increased mortality for infants with CHD. The present study examined the associations between adaptive functioning and sleep quality (i.e., duration and disruptions) in children with CHD (n = 23) compared to healthy children (n = 38). Results demonstrated associations between mean hours slept and overall adaptive functioning in the CHD group r(21) = .57, p = .005 but not in the healthy group. The CHD group demonstrated lower levels of adaptive functioning in the Conceptual, t(59) = 2.12, p = .039, Cohen's d = 0.53 and Practical, t(59) = 2.22, p = .030, Cohen's d = 0.55 domains, and overall adaptive functioning (i.e., General Adaptive Composite) nearing statistical significance in comparison to the healthy group, t(59) = 2.00, p = .051, Cohen's d = 0.51. The CHD group also demonstrated greater time awake at night, t(56) = 2.19, p = .033, Cohen's d = 0.58 and a greater instance of parent-caregiver reported snoring, χ2 (1, N = 60) = 5.25, p = .022, V = .296 than the healthy group. Further exploration of the association between adaptive functioning and sleep quality in those with CHD is required to inform clinical practice guidelines.
