Evaluating Quality of Life in Young School-Aged Children With Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome.

Abstract

* Abbreviations: HLHS — : hypoplastic left heart syndrome QoL — : quality of life Survival in hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS) has greatly improved since the 1980s, with ∼90% of infant survivors now living to 18 years.1 As survival rates increase, optimization of quality of life (QoL) and functional abilities becomes the true measure of success. In this issue of Pediatrics , Goldberg et al2 present a multicenter evaluation of functional ability, behavior, and QoL in children with HLHS as an arm of the Pediatric Heart Network Single Ventricle Reconstruction Trial. Although it is accepted that children with heart disease have behavioral and neurodevelopmental sequelae, the severity of these associations and their impact on daily functioning is unknown.3 QoL is multifaceted, with at least 3 domains (physical, psychological, and social functioning) affected by … Address correspondence to M. Regina Lantin-Hermoso, MD, FAAP, FACC, FASE, Pediatric Cardiology, Texas Children’s Heart Center, 19th Floor, Texas Children’s Hospital Legacy Tower, 6651 Main St, Houston, TX 77030. E-mail: mrlanti2{at}texaschildrens.org