The incidence of rheumatic and congenital heart disease among school children of louisville, KY

Abstract

1. 1. A study is presented of the incidence of rheumatic and congenital heart disease among 41,905 school children from 6 through 14 years of age who yearly attend the schools of Louisville, Ky. 2. 2. A total of 221, or 0.52 per cent, had rheumatic or congenital heart lesions; this included 0.54 per cent of the white and 0.45 per cent of the negro children. 3. 3. Rheumatic heart disease accounted for 69 per cent of the 221 cases. 4. 4. Rheumatic heart disease occurred in 0.33 per cent of the white and 0.35 per cent of the negro pupils. 5. 5. Congenital heart lesions were found in 0.18 per cent of the white and 0.05 per cent of the negro children. 6. 6. Rheumatic valve lesions were approximately equally common in both sexes of both races. No cases were encountered in siblings. 7. 7. Although the incidence was not higher in the slum clearance areas of the city, there was a greater incidence of rheumatic lesions in children from the “poorer” than from the “better” districts.