Incidence of delayed psychomotor development in pediatric patients with congenital heart defects

Abstract Introduction: Congenital heart defects (CHD) are the most commonly diagnosed group of malformations. CHD are associated with adverse neurodevelopmental outcome across lifespan that can manifest from the first year of life until adulthood. The aim of this study was to screen psychomotor performances of patients with unrepaired CHD. Methods This was a prospective study taken between 2020–2024. Children under 6 years with CHD and no previously known psychomotor impairment were dichotomized into two groups based on blood oxygen saturation (SpO2): cyanotic group (SpO2  = 95%). Psychomotor developmental evaluation was done by Denver Developmental Screening Test II. Results The psychomotor development of 77 patients was evaluated in 4 domains (personal-social, fine motor, language, gross motor) and revealed that children considered normally developed, following the clinical examination, presented a delay in the neurological development after being evaluated with Denver test in 97% of those with cyanotic CHD and in 54% of those with non-cyanotic CHD. Gross motor and personal-social domains were the most affected in the both groups. General development and functionality scores were lower in the group with cyanotic CHD. Factors that correlated with neurological development were the prenatal diagnosis (p = 0.012) and the type of diet (p = 0.008). Conclusion The importance of psychomotor screening in children with CHD is overwhelming, considering that psychomotor delay was detected in a high percentage of children with unoperated CHD, considered normally developed at a clinical exam. Lower developmental scores were observed in those with cyanotic CHD. Prenatal diagnosis and diet were correlated with neurological development.