Symptomatic heart disease in infants: comparison of three studies performed during 1969-1987

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Cardiology
• Medical Informatics
• Public Health

Background:

• Infant cardiac disease presents a significant challenge in pediatric healthcare.
• Understanding trends in diagnosis and admission patterns is crucial for improving patient outcomes.
• Historical data analysis can reveal shifts in medical practice and disease prevalence.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the distribution of cardiac anomalies in hospitalized infants across three distinct time periods (1967-1987).
• To identify changes in the age of admission for infants with cardiac disease over three decades.
• To analyze shifts in diagnostic patterns and their correlation with evolving care practices.

Main Methods:

• Comparative analysis of retrospective data from three regional infant cardiac programs.
• Data extraction and categorization of cardiac anomalies and admission ages.
• Statistical comparison of diagnostic distributions and admission timing across study cohorts.

Main Results:

• The overall distribution of cardiac anomalies in the first year of life remained consistent across the three studies.
• A notable increase was observed in the proportion of infants admitted between 6 and 12 months in the latest study (25%) compared to the earliest (10%).
• Differences in diagnosis distribution at various ages suggest changes in pediatric cardiac care patterns over the studied eras.

Conclusions:

• Despite consistent anomaly types, the timing of hospital admission for infant cardiac disease has shifted towards later in the first year of life.
• Evolving patterns of care and diagnosis significantly influence the presentation and management of pediatric cardiac conditions.
• Longitudinal data analysis is essential for tracking and adapting to changes in infant cardiac disease management.