Children With Congenital Heart Disease May Face More Behavioral Problems

TUESDAY, April 28, 2026 (HealthDay News) -- Children born with congenital heart disease (CHD) may have a greater risk for developing behavioral problems during preschool, according to a study published online April 22 in Frontiers in Pediatrics.Andrew T.M. Chew, M.D., from King's College London, and colleagues compared behavioral outcomes of preschool children with and without CHD to investigate whether a cognitively stimulating home environment impacts their behavioral outcomes. The analysis included 56 preschool children (4 to 6 years of age) with CHD and 215 control participants.The researchers found that compared with controls, children with CHD had higher levels of age-adjusted hyperactivity/impulsivity (B = −0.339), hyperactivity/inattention (B = −0.390), and peer relationship problems (B= −0.298) when controlling for gestational age at birth, sex, and neighborhood deprivation. Results survived false discovery rate correction. There were no differences between children with and without CHD for other behavioral measures assessed. The relationship between cognitively stimulating opportunities at home and selective behavioral outcomes, including hyperactivity/impulsivity, inattention, and peer problems, was significantly moderated by group. There were significant associations between more cognitively stimulating opportunities at home and more favorable behavioral outcomes in children with CHD (hyperactivity/impulsivity, B = −0.092; hyperactivity/inattention, B = −0.088; peer problems, B = −0.124) but not in controls (hyperactivity/impulsivity, B = −0.005; hyperactivity/inattention, B = −0.019; peer problems, B = −0.002)."Clinically, these findings suggest that behavior in preschool children with CHD should be assessed regularly so that any problems can be identified and children can be supported as soon as possible," coauthor Chiara Nosarti, Ph.D., also from King's College London, said in a statement.Abstract/Full Text.Sign up for our weekly HealthDay newsletter

Children With Congenital Heart Disease May Face More Behavioral Problems

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