Bone mineral density of children with congenital heart disease and analysis on its influence factors

Abstract

Objective To investigate the epidemiology and risk factors for the bone mineral density (BMD) of children with congenital heart disease (CHD). Methods CHD children without cardic surgery indication were taken as CHD group who were admitted to the Department of Pediatric Cardiology, Xinhua Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine from October 2013 to January 2015.Age-sex-matched healthy children from a kindergarten in Shanghai were enrolled as controls.Anthropometric measurement by quantitative ultrasound was utilized to detect bone speed of sound (SOS). SOS were compared to Asian children′s criterion, and Z score was calculated for statistical analyses. Results One hundred and twenty children with CHD were included, among whom 49 were boys and 71 were girls with mean age (52.43±25.60) months, mean body weight (17.72±6.69) kg and mean height (105.38±14.55) cm.The control group included 109 children with 55 boys and 54 girls, mean age (53.25±13.08) months, mean body weight (18.36±3.65) kg and mean height (105.81±14.69) cm.There was no statistical difference in age, sex, body height and body weight between the CHD group and the control group(all P>0.05). Ventricular septal defect (51 cases), atrial septal defect(30 cases) and patent ductus arteriosus (16 cases) were the most popular CHD types.There were 55(45.8%) children who had no healthy BMD, among whom 12 (10.0%) patients had severe BMD deficiency, 6 (5.0%) patients with moderate BMD deficiency, 10 (8.3%) patients with mild BMD deficiency, and 27 (22.5%) patients with low BMD.Sixty-five (54.2%) children had healthy BMD in CHD group.There was no statistical difference in SOS between CHD group[(3 515.00±186.32) m/s] and the control group [(3 532.07±132.73) m/s] (t=0.804, P>0.05). SOS was positively associated with height (r=0.338, P 0.05). Conclusions The BMD of children with CHD is similar to healthy ones.But, nearly half of them have low BMD.Therefore, attention should be paid to the bone health of CHD children and rehabilitation may be needed. Key words: Congenital heart disease; Ultrasound bone mineral density; Child