Psychomotor Development in Pediatric Patients with Congenital Heart Defects Prior to Surgical Intervention: Findings...

Background and Objectives: Psychomotor developmental delay is a frequent comorbidity in children with congenital heart defects (CHD), especially after surgical correction of the CHD and exposure to risk factors such as anesthesia, cardiopulmonary bypass and postoperative complications. Yet psychomotor delay is present in these patients before surgical correction but is under-recognized. Evidence focusing solely on unrepaired CHD remains limited. Materials and Methods: This prospective cross-sectional study evaluated 153 and included 77 children under 6 years of age with unrepaired CHD, stratified into cyanotic (n = 31) and non-cyanotic (n = 46) CHD, admitted to a pediatric cardiology department over a period of 5 years. Psychomotor development was assessed using the Denver Developmental Screening Test II (DDST-II), standardized for pediatric population. Associations with clinical, perinatal, and demographic factors were analyzed using univariate and multivariate methods. Results: Developmental delay was identified in 97% of cyanotic and 54% of non-cyanotic patients. Compared to healthy norms, CHD patients had significantly lower global developmental scores (p = 0.03). Gross motor and personal-social domains were most frequently affected. Prenatal CHD diagnosis correlated with better global developmental scores (p = 0.012), and breastfeeding was associated with improved outcomes compared with formula or mixed feeding (p = 0.008). Conclusions: Infants and young children with CHD are at increased risk of early psychomotor developmental delay, particularly in the gross motor and personal-social domains, even before exposure to surgical or intensive care damaging factors. Systematic psychomotor surveillance, integration of protective factors such as prenatal diagnosis and breastfeeding, and timely access to multidisciplinary interventions are essential to optimize long-term outcomes in this vulnerable population.