Pre-school Screening to Detect Emotional, Behavioural and Developmental Problems in Children With Critical Congenital Heart Disease

Abstract

Neonatal surgery for congenital heart disease is associated with an increased risk of neurodevelopmental impairment characterised by motor delay, mild cognitive impairment, communication difficulties, inattention, impulsivity, and impaired executive functioning. We reviewed the outcomes of a national pre-school screening programme, The Before School Check (B4SC), to compare the performance of children who had neonatal cardiac surgery (NCS) to those of the national cohort, in order to determine whether it would be a useful early detection tool.