COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF RECEPTIVE AND EXPRESSIVE LANGUAGE INDICATORS IN PRIMARY SCHOOLCHILDREN WITH SEPTAL CONGENITAL HEART DEFECTS

Abstract

Highlights In recent years, congenital heart defects (CHD) have remained the most prevalent diseases in young children. Opinions on the health of children who have undergone cardiac surgery vary: for example, there are data in the literature indicating that speech disorders following cardiac surgery are present in 56% of cases, whereas cognitive disorders are present in 21% of cases. Aim. To study the level of development of receptive and expressive language in primary schoolchildren with septal congenital heart defects before surgical correction. Methods. The prospective study of children (n = 90) with septal congenital heart defects (atrium septal defect, n = 75; ventricle septal defect n = 15) before surgical correction was conducted at the Scientific Research Institute of Complex Issues of Cardiovascular Diseases (Kemerovo). The anamnesis, clinical symptoms, hemodynamics and the level of speech development (receptive and expressive language) were studied.Results. In children with septal heart defects, speech disorders were noted in 82% of cases: 56% of children had common speech disorders, 26% had delayed speech development. Expressive language skills of these children can be often characterized by delayed development, which manifests in the form of articulation disorder, difficulties with grammar syntax and morphology, and pronunciation disorders. There were no statistically significant differences between the level of expressive language and the type of CHD (p = 0.125).Conclusion. Even in the absence of intracardiac hemodynamic disorders in children with septal CHD, detected neurodevelopmental delays at the preoperative period necessitates the implementation of the interdisciplinary approach in the management of children with such pathology.