How to measure patient and family important outcomes in extremely preterm infants: A scoping review.

AIM: Parents of children born preterm have identified outcomes to be measured for audit and research at 18-24 months of age: child well-being, quality of life/function, socio-emotional/behavioural outcomes, respiratory, feeding, sleeping, and caregiver mental health. The aim was to identify the best tools to measure these seven domains. METHODS: Seven working groups completed literature reviews and evaluated potential tools to measure these outcomes in children aged 18-24 months. A group of experts and parents voted on the preferred tools in a workshop and by questionnaire. Consensus was 80% agreement. RESULTS: Consensus was obtained for seven brief, inexpensive, parent friendly valid measures available in English or French for use in a minimum dataset and potential alternative measures for use in funded research. CONCLUSION: Valid questionnaires and tools to measure parent-identified outcomes in young preterm children exist. This study will facilitate research and collection of data important to families.

Language brain responses and neurodevelopmental outcome in preschoolers with congenital heart disease: A fNIRS study.

Neurodevelopmental disabilities affect up to 50% of survivors of congenital heart disease (CHD). Language difficulties are frequently identified during preschool period and can lead to academic, social, behavioral, and emotional difficulties. Structural brain alterations are associated with poorer neurodevelopmental outcomes in patients with CHD during infancy, childhood, and adolescence. However, evidence is lacking about the functional brain activity in children with CHD and its relationship with neurodevelopment. This study therefore aimed to characterize brain responses during a passive story-listening task in 3-year-old children with CHD, and to investigate the relationship between functional brain patterns of language processing and neurodevelopmental outcomes. To do so, we assessed hemodynamic concentration changes, using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS), and neurodevelopmental outcomes, using the Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence - 4th Edition (WPPSI-IV), in children with CHD (n = 19) and healthy controls (n = 23). Compared to their healthy peers, children with CHD had significantly lower scores on the Verbal comprehension index (VCI), the Vocabulary acquisition index (VAI), the General ability index (GAI), and the Information and the Picture Naming subtests of the WPPSI-IV. During the passive story-listening task, healthy controls showed significant hemodynamic brain responses in the temporal and the temporal posterior regions, with stronger activation in the temporal posterior than in the temporal regions. In contrast, children with CHD showed reduced activation in the temporal posterior regions compared to controls, with no difference of activation between regions. Reduced brain responses in the temporal posterior regions were also correlated with lower neurodevelopmental outcomes in both groups. This is the first study that reveals reduced brain functional responses in preschoolers with CHD during a receptive language task. It also suggests that the temporal posterior activation could be a potential brain marker of cognitive development. These findings provide support for the feasibility of identifying brain correlates of neurodevelopmental vulnerabilities in children with CHD.

Corrected Age at Bayley Assessment and Developmental Delay in Extreme Preterms.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Research on outcomes of prematurity frequently examines neurodevelopment in the toddler years as an end point, but the age range at examination varies. We aimed to evaluate whether the corrected age (CA) at Bayley-III assessment is associated with rates of developmental delay in extremely preterm children. METHODS: This retrospective cohort study included children born at <29 weeks' gestation who were admitted in the Canadian Neonatal Network between 2009 and 2017. The primary outcomes were significant developmental delay (Bayley-III score <70 in any domain) and developmental delay (Bayley-III score <85 in any domain). To assess the association between CA at Bayley-III assessment and developmental delay, we compared outcomes between 2 groups of children: those assessed at 18 to 20 months' CA and 21-24 months. RESULTS: Overall, 3944 infants were assessed at 18-20 months' CA and 881 at 21-24 months. Compared with infants assessed at 18-20 months, those assessed at 21-24 months had higher odds of significant development delay (20.0% vs 12.5%; adjusted odds ratio, 1.75; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.41-2.13) and development delays (48.9% vs 41.7%, adjusted odds ratio 1.33; 95% CI, 1.11-1.52). Bayley-III composite scores were on average 3 to 4 points lower in infants evaluated at 21-24 months' CA (for instance, adjusted mean difference and 95% CI for language: 3.49 [2.33-4.66]). Conversely, rates of cerebral palsy were comparable (4.6% vs 4.7%) between the groups. CONCLUSIONS: Bayley-III assessments performed at 21-24 months' CA were more likely to diagnose a significant developmental delay compared with 18- to 20-month assessments in extremely preterm children.

Tolerability of sublingual versus vestibular allergy immunotherapy tablet administration: A randomized pilot study.

BACKGROUND: Local application site reactions are common with sublingual allergy immunotherapy (AIT)-tablets for the treatment of allergic rhinitis/conjunctivitis (AR/C) and occasionally lead to treatment discontinuation. Because of the lower mast cell density in the vestibular mucosa than the sublingual area, vestibular AIT-tablet administration may result in fewer adverse events (AEs). This pilot study evaluated the tolerability of the vestibular administration route of AIT-tablets compared with the sublingual route in adult subjects with AR/C. METHODS: Adults (n = 164) aged 18-65 years with AR/C treated with daily birch pollen, grass pollen, ragweed pollen or house dust mite AIT in tablet form were randomized 1:1 to vestibular or sublingual administration for 28 days, followed by 28 days of sublingual administration only. The primary endpoint was the severity (mild, moderate, severe) of local treatment-related adverse events (TRAEs) during the first 28 days of treatment. RESULTS: During the first 28 days, the percentage of subjects in the vestibular and sublingual groups reporting mild TRAEs were 55.6% versus 50.6%, respectively; moderate TRAEs were 27.2% versus 30.1%; and severe TRAEs were 12.3% versus 6.0% (p = .16). In the vestibular group, 95.1% of the subjects experienced at least one TRAE during the first period versus 81.9% in the sublingual group (p = .01) and discontinuation rates due to AEs were higher (12.3% vs. 3.6%). CONCLUSION: The frequencies of subjects experiencing severe TRAEs, at least one TRAE, and discontinuations due to AEs at the initiation of AIT-tablets were numerically higher with vestibular administration than sublingual administration. Sublingual administration should remain the standard of care for subjects treated with AIT-tablets for AR/C.

Antidepressants use during pregnancy and child psychomotor, cognitive and language development at 2 years of age-Results from the 3D Cohort Study.

Introduction: Approximately 5.5% of pregnant women take antidepressants. Studies on prenatal exposure to antidepressants reported no association with child cognition, and inconsistent results with motor function and language development. A limitation has been the failure to adjust for prenatal maternal distress. Objectives: Assess the associations between prenatal exposure to antidepressants and child development at age two, while adjusting for maternal depressive symptoms and stress during pregnancy. Explore indirect effects through birth complications and consider sex-specific associations. Methods: This is an ancillary study of the 3D (Design Develop, Discover) Study initiated during pregnancy. Data on antidepressants were collected through medication logs spanning the entire pregnancy. Depressive symptoms and stress were assessed during pregnancy by self-reported questionnaires, motor and cognitive development with the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development (BSID-III), and language development with the MacArthur Communicative Development Inventories at age 2. Multiple linear regressions were used to assess the associations between exposure and developmental outcomes. Mediation models were used to assess indirect effects. Interaction terms were introduced to assess sex-specific associations. Results: 1,489 mother-child dyads were included, of whom 61 (4.1%) reported prenatal antidepressant use. Prenatal exposure was negatively associated with motor development (B = -0.91, 95% CI -1.73, -0.09 for fine motor, B = -0.89, 95% CI -1.81, 0.02 for gross motor), but not with cognitive (B = -0.53, 95% CI -1.82, 0.72) and language (B = 4.13, 95% CI -3.72, 11.89) development. Adjusting for maternal prenatal distress only slightly modified these associations. No indirect effect or differential effect according to child sex were found. Conclusion: This study supports evidence of a negative association between prenatal exposure to antidepressants and motor development at age two, after adjusting for maternal distress, but the effect size remains very small, with about only one BSID-III point lower in average.

A Parent-child yoga intervention for reducing attention deficits in children with congenital heart disease: the Yoga for Little Hearts Feasibility Study Protocol.

INTRODUCTION: Preschoolers and school-aged children with congenital heart disease (CHD) are at higher risk of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) compared with the general population. To this day, no randomised controlled trial (RCT) aiming to improve attention has been conducted in young children with CHD. There is emerging evidence indicating that parent-child yoga interventions improve attention and reduce ADHD symptoms in both typically developing and clinical populations. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: This is a single-blind, two-centre, two-arm trial during which 24 children with CHD and their parents will be randomly assigned to (1) a parent-child yoga intervention in addition to standard clinical care or (2) standard clinical care alone. All participants will undergo standardised assessments: (1) at baseline, (2) immediately post-treatment and (3) 6 months post-treatment. Descriptive statistics will be used to estimate the feasibility and neurodevelopmental outcomes. This feasibility study will evaluate: (1) recruitment capacity; (2) retention, drop-out and withdrawal rates during the yoga programme and at the 6-month follow-up; (3) adherence to the intervention; (4) acceptability of the randomisation process by families; (5) heterogeneity in the delivery of the intervention between instructors and use of home-based exercises between participants; (6) proportion of missing data in the neurodevelopmental assessments and (7) SD of primary outcomes of the full RCT in order to determine the future appropriate sample size. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: Ethical approval has been obtained by the Research Ethics Board of the Sainte-Justine University Hospital. The findings will be disseminated in peer-reviewed journals and conferences and presented to the Canadian paediatric grand round meetings. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT05997680.

International Donation and Transplantation Legislative and Policy Forum: Methods and Purpose.

Organ and tissue donation and transplantation (OTDT) legislation and policies vary around the world, and this variability contributes to discrepancies in system performance. This article describes the purpose and methodology of an international forum that was organized to create consensus recommendations related to key legal and policy attributes of an ideal OTDT system. The intent is to create guidance for legislators, regulators, and other system stakeholders who aim to create or reform OTDT legislation and policy. Methods: This Forum was initiated by Transplant Québec and cohosted by the Canadian Donation and Transplantation Program partnered with multiple national and international donation and transplantation organizations. Seven domains were identified by the scientific committee' and domain working groups identified specific topics for recommendations: Baseline Ethical Principles, Legal Foundations, Consent Model and Emerging Legal Issues, Donation System Architecture, Living Donation, Tissue Donation, and Research and Innovation Systems and Emerging Issues. Patient, family, and donor partners were integrated into every stage of the planning and execution of the Forum. Sixty-one participants from 13 countries contributed to recommendation generation. Topic identification and recommendation consensus was completed over a series of virtual meetings from March to September 2021. Consensus was achieved by applying the nominal group technique informed by literature reviews performed by participants. Recommendations were presented at a hybrid in-person and virtual forum in Montreal, Canada, in October 2021. Output: Ninety-four recommendations (9-33 per domain) and an ethical framework for evaluating new policies were developed during the Forum proceedings. The accompanying articles include the recommendations from each domain and justifications that link the consensus to existing literature and ethical or legal concepts. Conclusions: Although the recommendations could not account for the vast global diversity of populations, healthcare infrastructure, and resources available to OTDT systems, they were written to be as widely applicable as possible.

Long-term consequences of neonatal encephalopathy in the hypothermia era: protocol for a follow-up cohort study at 9 years of age.

INTRODUCTION: Therapeutic hypothermia (TH) became the standard of care treatment for neonates with moderate and severe neonatal encephalopathy (NE) in most industrialized countries about 10 years ago. Although TH is effective in reducing mortality and the incidence of severe developmental disabilities, the recent literature converges in reporting frequent cognitive and behavioural difficulties at school entry in children with NE-TH. Although these challenges are deemed minor compared with cerebral palsy and intellectual disability, their impacts on a child's self-determination and family's well-being are quite significant. Therefore, the nature and extent of these difficulties need to be comprehensively described so that appropriate care can be offered. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: The current study will be the largest follow-up study of neonates with NE treated with TH to characterize their developmental outcomes and associated brain structural profiles at 9 years of age. Specifically, we will compare executive function, attention, social cognition, behaviour, anxiety, self-esteem, peer problems, brain volume, cortical features, white matter microstructure and myelination between children with NE-TH and matched peers without NE. Associations of perinatal risk factors and structural brain integrity with cognitive, behavioural and psycho-emotional deficits will be evaluated to inform about the potential aggravating and protective factors associated with function. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: This study is supported by the Canadian Institute of Health Research (202203PJT-480065-CHI-CFAC-168509), and received approval from the Pediatric Ethical Review Board of the McGill University Health Center (MP-37-2023-9320). The study findings will be disseminated in scientific journals and conferences and presented to parental associations and healthcare providers to inform best practices. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT05756296.

Associations between neurological examination at term-equivalent age and cerebral hemodynamics and oxygen metabolism in infants born preterm.

Background: Infants born at 29-36 weeks gestational age (GA) are at risk of experiencing neurodevelopmental challenges. We hypothesize that cerebral hemodynamics and oxygen metabolism measured by bedside optical brain monitoring are potential biomarkers of brain development and are associated with neurological examination at term-equivalent age (TEA). Methods: Preterm infants (N = 133) born 29-36 weeks GA and admitted in the neonatal intensive care unit were enrolled in this prospective cohort study. Combined frequency-domain near infrared spectroscopy (FDNIRS) and diffuse correlation spectroscopy (DCS) were used from birth to TEA to measure cerebral hemoglobin oxygen saturation and an index of microvascular cerebral blood flow (CBF i ) along with peripheral arterial oxygen saturation (SpO2). In combination with hemoglobin concentration in the blood, these parameters were used to derive cerebral oxygen extraction fraction (OEF) and an index of cerebral oxygen metabolism (CMRO2i ). The Amiel-Tison and Gosselin Neurological Assessment was performed at TEA. Linear regression models were used to assess the associations between changes in FDNIRS-DCS parameters from birth to TEA and GA at birth. Logistic regression models were used to assess the associations between changes in FDNIRS-DCS parameters from birth to TEA and neurological examination at TEA. Results: Steeper increases in CBF i (p < 0.0001) and CMRO2i (p = 0.0003) were associated with higher GA at birth. Changes in OEF, CBF i , and CMRO2i from birth to TEA were not associated with neurological examination at TEA. Conclusion: In this population, cerebral FDNIRS-DCS parameters were not associated with neurological examination at TEA. Larger increases in CBF i and CMRO2i from birth to TEA were associated with higher GA. Non-invasive bedside FDNIRS-DCS monitoring provides cerebral hemodynamic and metabolic parameters that may complement neurological examination to assess brain development in preterm infants.

Cell lineage-specific mitochondrial resilience during mammalian organogenesis.

Mitochondrial activity differs markedly between organs, but it is not known how and when this arises. Here we show that cell lineage-specific expression profiles involving essential mitochondrial genes emerge at an early stage in mouse development, including tissue-specific isoforms present before organ formation. However, the nuclear transcriptional signatures were not independent of organelle function. Genetically disrupting intra-mitochondrial protein synthesis with two different mtDNA mutations induced cell lineage-specific compensatory responses, including molecular pathways not previously implicated in organellar maintenance. We saw downregulation of genes whose expression is known to exacerbate the effects of exogenous mitochondrial toxins, indicating a transcriptional adaptation to mitochondrial dysfunction during embryonic development. The compensatory pathways were both tissue and mutation specific and under the control of transcription factors which promote organelle resilience. These are likely to contribute to the tissue specificity which characterizes human mitochondrial diseases and are potential targets for organ-directed treatments.

Distribution and genetic characterization of bird rape mustard (Brassica rapa) populations and analysis of glyphosate resistance introgression.

BACKGROUND: The introgression of a transgene conferring glyphosate resistance from Brassica napus (rapeseed, canola) to Brassica rapa weeds (bird rape) was documented at a single location in 2007. In 2015, several cases of glyphosate resistant mustard were reported by growers in areas where rapeseed was seldom grown. RESULTS: Survey result indicated glyphosate resistant bird rape mustard is present in areas where glyphosate tolerant corn and soybean are often grown in rotation. Genetic analyses reveal that hybridization followed by introgression and progressive loss of chromosome is the likely mechanism for the horizontal gene transfer (HGT) of glyphosate resistance. CONCLUSION: Introgression of the glyphosate-resistance conferring transgene in the populations studied appears to have occurred several times, consistent with the ease for B. rapa to form hybrids with B. napus. The introduction of a transgene into a crop should therefore take into account the weediness of the species that share a common genome and their ability to form hybrids. We provide here such an example between B. napus and B. rapa, and potentially between B. napus and Raphanistrum raphanistrum. © 2022 Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada. Pest Management Science © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry. Reproduced with the permission of the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada.

Social cognition and competence in preschoolers with congenital heart disease.

OBJECTIVE: Children born with congenital heart disease (CHD) are at an increased risk for various neurodevelopmental impairments. However, little is known regarding social outcomes associated with CHD, particularly during early childhood. The present study aimed to characterize the sociocognitive profile and to assess the contribution of language, executive functions (EF), and social cognition to social competence (SC) in preschoolers with CHD. METHOD: Five-year-old children with CHD (n = 55) completed a standardized neuropsychological assessment. Performance on sociocognitive skills was compared to test norms using one-sample t tests. Hierarchical regression was conducted to examine the associations between language skills, affect recognition (AR), theory of mind (ToM), EF (performance-based and parent-rated), and social competence. RESULTS: Children with CHD performed significantly worse than norms in language and ToM, whereas EF and social competence appeared generally preserved in our sample. In hierarchical regression analysis, cognitive functions (language score, AR, ToM, EF performance) accounted for a significant 24.3% of the variance. Parent-rated EF added another 24.8% to the total explained variance. CONCLUSIONS: These findings provide new evidence for understanding social cognition and competence among preschoolers with CHD, showing vulnerability in social cognition and language skills but not in social competence more generally. The model suggests a combined contribution of social cognition, language, and EF on social outcomes. Remedial programs addressing these intervention targets could be useful in promoting social development in this vulnerable population. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

Mice lacking the mitochondrial exonuclease MGME1 develop inflammatory kidney disease with glomerular dysfunction.

Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) maintenance disorders are caused by mutations in ubiquitously expressed nuclear genes and lead to syndromes with variable disease severity and tissue-specific phenotypes. Loss of function mutations in the gene encoding the mitochondrial genome and maintenance exonuclease 1 (MGME1) result in deletions and depletion of mtDNA leading to adult-onset multisystem mitochondrial disease in humans. To better understand the in vivo function of MGME1 and the associated disease pathophysiology, we characterized a Mgme1 mouse knockout model by extensive phenotyping of ageing knockout animals. We show that loss of MGME1 leads to de novo formation of linear deleted mtDNA fragments that are constantly made and degraded. These findings contradict previous proposal that MGME1 is essential for degradation of linear mtDNA fragments and instead support a model where MGME1 has a critical role in completion of mtDNA replication. We report that Mgme1 knockout mice develop a dramatic phenotype as they age and display progressive weight loss, cataract and retinopathy. Surprisingly, aged animals also develop kidney inflammation, glomerular changes and severe chronic progressive nephropathy, consistent with nephrotic syndrome. These findings link the faulty mtDNA synthesis to severe inflammatory disease and thus show that defective mtDNA replication can trigger an immune response that causes age-associated progressive pathology in the kidney.

Utility of the Ages and Stages Questionnaires 3rd Edition for Developmental Screening in Children with Surgically Repaired Congenital Heart Disease.

Aim: This study sought to evaluate the accuracy of the Ages and Stages Questionnaires 3rd Edition (ASQ-3) in identifying developmental delay (DD) in children with congenital heart disease (CHD) born at term who underwent surgical repair.Methods: Participants had to complete ASQ-3 and Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development 3rd Edition (BSID-III) at 12 and 24 months. A child was considered at risk of DD for a ASQ-3 domain when he scored below the cutoff (≤-1SD or ≤-2SD). A child had a DD in a BSID-III domain when the score was ≤-1SD. The validity for each ASQ-3 domain and for overall ASQ-3 was measured.Results: At 12 months (n = 64), overall ASQ-3 (≤-2SD) sensitivity was 88%, specificity 74%. At 24 months (n = 82), overall ASQ-3 (≤-2SD) sensitivity was 74%, specificity 88%.Conclusion: The results support the utility of the ASQ-3 for screening the overall risk of DD in children with CHD.

Placement stability: What role do the different types of family foster care play?

BACKGROUND: Placement stability is a major concern after a child enters foster care. Several studies have focused on the different factors associated with the risk of moving the child. However, the role and effect of the type of family foster care is less clear. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study is to identify the characteristics of children and their biological mothers, which are associated with initial type of care (non-relative foster care (NRFC), kinship foster care (KFC) and foster-to-adopt family (FAF)), and to examine the association between the type of care and placement stability. METHODS: Case files of 361 Canadian children aged <12 years (X = 4.64; SD = 3.75) were reviewed during the window period of five years after their first out-of-home placement (NRFC n = 156; KC n = 155; FAF n = 50). RESULTS: Our results show that children in FAF and KFC are initially placed at a younger age than children in the NRFC group. They also indicate that children placed in NRFC have a more significant accumulation of problems than the other two groups (FAF and KFC). Also, boys are placed in NRFC more often than girls, who are more frequently placed in FAF. Multivariate analysis revealed that children placed in FAF are less likely to face a high number of movements, even after controlling for the child's age, gender, and cumulative problems. CONCLUSIONS: This study highlights the role of foster care type at entry into foster care. It supports clinical discussion for an optimal response for neglected and maltreated children, as well as better services for foster parents, according to their specific needs.

The role of parenting stress in anxiety and sleep outcomes in toddlers with congenital heart disease.

Objectives: This retrospective cohort study investigates how parenting stress, measured at 4 months of age by use of a classic three-dimensional parent-reported scale (Parenting Stress Index, 4th Ed. or PSI-4), can predict anxiety symptoms and quality of sleep at 24 months in toddlers with congenital heart disease (CHD). Study Design: Sixty-six toddlers with CHD followed at our cardiac neurodevelopmental follow-up clinic were included in this study. As part of their systematic developmental assessment program, parents completed questionnaires on their stress level (PSI-4) when their child was 4 months old, and on their child's anxiety symptoms and quality of sleep at 24 months. Eight multiple linear regression models were built on the two measures collected at 24 months using the PSI-4 scores collected at 4 months. For each measure, four models were built from the PSI-4 total score and its three subscales (Parental Distress, Parent-Child Dysfunctional Interaction, Difficult Child), controlling for sex and socioeconomic status. Results: The PSI-4 Difficult Child subscale, which focuses on parenting anxiety related to the child's behavioral problems and poor psychosocial adjustment, accounted for 17% of the child's anxiety symptoms at 24 months. The two other PSI-4 subscales (Parental Distress and Parent-Child Dysfunctional Interaction) and the PSI-4 total score did not contribute significantly to the models. None of the four regression models on perceived quality of sleep were significant. It is important to note that 33% of parents responded defensively to the PSI-4. Conclusions: Parenting stress related to the child's behavioral problems and poor psychosocial adjustment, measured when the child is 4 months old, is associated with the child's ulterior anxiety symptoms. As very few standardized tools are available to assess the behavioral and psychoaffective development of infants, this study highlights the importance of early psychosocial screening in parents of infants with CHD. The high rate of significant Defensive Responding Indices reminds us to not take parent reports at face value, as their actual stress levels might be higher.

Neurodevelopmental Outcome of Children with Congenital Heart Disease: A Cohort Study from Infancy to Preschool Age.

OBJECTIVE: To characterize the neuropsychological outcome of children with congenital heart disease (CHD) at age 5 years; the stability of cognitive and language abilities across childhood; and to identify early neurodevelopmental markers of neuropsychological outcomes in these children. STUDY DESIGN: Five-year-old children (n = 55) with complex CHD were assessed using standardized and comprehensive neuropsychological measures. Stability of language and cognitive performance was assessed by comparing standardized scores between ages 1, 2, and 5 years old. Association between 5-year-old skills and scores obtained in early childhood was studied to identify potential early markers of preschool performance. Receiver operating characteristic curves were used to evaluate the classification accuracy of Bayley Scales of Infant Development, Third Edition scales in identifying later impairments. RESULTS: At age 5 years, our cohort obtained scores significantly below the norms on most developmental domains, with 35% to 65% of participants showing impaired short-term/working memory, attention, and preacademic skills. Developmental patterns measured between ages 1 and 5 years were different for cognitive and language domains, with a decline with age for cognitive functioning and stable results for expressive language. The Bayley Scales of Infant Development, Third Edition language scores at age 2 years provided a good predictive value in identifying children with impaired language at age 5 years. CONCLUSIONS: In our cohort, we found a high prevalence of impairments affecting higher-order cognitive domains. Although language difficulties can be detected as early as 2 years of age, other neuropsychological impairments, such as attention and pre-academic skills, only appear later during development, which reinforces the need for long-term monitoring and systematic assessment before school entry.

Gross Motor Development of Children with Congenital Heart Disease Receiving Early Systematic Surveillance and Individualized Intervention: Brief Report.

Purpose: This retrospective study aims to describe the gross motor development of children aged 4 to 24 months with congenital heart disease (CHD) enrolled in a systematic developmental follow-up program and to describe the frequency of physical therapy sessions they received between 4 and 8 months of age. Methods: Twenty-nine infants with CHD underwent motor evaluations using the AIMS at 4 months, and the Bayley-III at 12 and 24 months. Results: Based on AIMS, 79% of 4-month-old infants had a gross motor delay and required physical therapy. Among these, 56.5% received one to two physical therapy sessions, and 43.5% received three to six sessions. Infants who benefited from regular interventions tended to show a better improvement in motor scores from 12 to 24 months. Conclusion: This study highlights the importance of early motor screening in infants with CHD and suggests a potential benefit of early physical therapy in at-risk children. Abbreviations: CHD: Congenital heart disease; AIMS: Alberta Infant Motor Scales; Bayley-III: Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development, Third edition; Bayley-III/GM: Gross Motor section of the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development, Third edition.

Impacts of an Interdisciplinary Developmental Follow-Up Program on Neurodevelopment in Congenital Heart Disease: The CINC Study.

Objectives: This study investigates the impact of an early systematic interdisciplinary developmental follow-up and individualized intervention program on the neurodevelopment of children with complex congenital heart disease (CHD) who required cardiac surgery. Study Design: We prospectively enrolled 80 children with CHD: 41 were already followed at our neurocardiac developmental follow-up clinic from the age of 4 months, while 39 were born before the establishment of the program and therefore received standard health care. We conducted cognitive, motor, and behavioral assessments at 3 years of age. We used one-way multivariate analyses of variance to compare the neurodevelopmental outcome of both groups. Results: Between-group analyses revealed a distinct neurodevelopmental profile with clinically significant effect size (P < 0.001, partial η2 = 0.366). Children followed at our clinic demonstrated better receptive language performances (P = 0.048) and tended to show higher scores on visuo-constructive tasks (P = 0.080). Children who received standard health care exhibited greater performances in working memory tasks (P = 0.032). We found no group differences on global intellectual functioning, gross and fine motor skills, and behaviors. Referral rates for specific remedial services were higher in patients followed at our neurocardiac clinic compared to the historical cohort (P < 0.005). Conclusions: Overall, the impact of the developmental follow-up and individualized intervention program on neurodevelopmental outcomes remains subtle. Nevertheless, results, although limited by several factors, point toward an advantage for the children who took part in the program regarding receptive language skills over children who received standard health care. We hypothesize that group differences may be greater with growing age. Further research involving larger cohorts is needed to clearly assess the effectiveness of neurocardiac developmental follow-up programs at school age.