Gross and fine motor development is impaired in children with cyanotic congenital heart disease

Abstract

Many factors may intervene with the motor development of children with congenital heart disease (CHD). Children aged 5 to 14 years with various CHD were examined for disturbances of gross and fine motor development using motometric tests and compared with 30 healthy controls. The results of the Körperkoordinationstest für Kinder (KTK) (a body coordination test for children) for gross motor development were significantly lower in patients with uncorrected cyanotic CHD (motor quotient MQ 74.8 +/- 11.7, mean +/- 1 standard deviation, n = 16) and after corrective surgery (MQ 81.2 +/- 16.6, n = 25) than in controls (MQ 102.8 +/- 11.8, n = 30). No relationship between these results and the cardiopulmonary exercise capacity was found. In patients with cyanotic CHD, significant deficits in fine motor development were present before corrective surgery (e.g. Zielpunktiertest [dotting] MQ 87.7 +/- 9.9 vs. 106.5 +/- 10.8), but already two years afterwards the results reached nearly normal values (MQ 97.1 +/- 17.0). In contrast, children with acyanotic CHD demonstrated normal gross and fine motor development. These results indicate that long-standing hypoxemia in infancy must be considered as an important cause of the pronounced motor disturbances. Early neurological evaluation of these children and a specialized motor physiotherapy are recommended.