| Affiliation: | 1. Department of Pediatrics, Division of Cardiology, Benioff Children’s Hospital, University of California-San Francisco, San Francisco, California;2. Department of Neurology, Hospital for Sick Children, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada;3. Neurosciences and Mental Health, Hospital for Sick Children, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada;4. Department of Pediatrics, Hospital for Sick Children, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada;5. Department of Radiology, University of California-San Francisco, San Francisco, California;6. Department of Neurology, Benioff Children’s Hospital, University of California-San Francisco, San Francisco, California;7. Department of Pediatrics, Benioff Children’s Hospital, University of California-San Francisco, San Francisco, California;8. Department of Epidemiology & Biostatistics, Benioff Children’s Hospital, University of California-San Francisco, San Francisco, California;9. Department of Pediatrics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada;10. Department of Radiology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada;11. Department of Pediatrics, Division of Critical Care, Benioff Children’s Hospital, University of California-San Francisco, San Francisco, California |
| Abstract: | BackgroundBrain injury (BI) is reported in 60% of newborns with critical congenital heart disease as white matter injury (WMI) or stroke. Neurodevelopmental (ND) impairments are reported in these patients. The relationship between neonatal BI and ND outcome has not been established.ObjectivesThis study sought to determine the association between peri-operative BI and ND outcomes in infants with single ventricle physiology (SVP) and d-transposition of the great arteries (d-TGA).MethodsTerm newborns with d-TGA and SVP had pre-operative and post-operative brain magnetic resonance imaging and ND outcomes assessed at 12 and 30 months with the Bayley Scales of Infant Development-II. BI was categorized by the brain injury severity score and WMI was quantified by volumetric analysis.ResultsA total of 104 infants had follow-up at 12 months and 70 had follow-up at 30 months. At 12 months, only clinical variables were associated with ND outcome. At 30 months, subjects with moderate-to-severe WMI had significantly lower Psychomotor Development Index (PDI) scores (13 points lower) as compared with those with none or minimal WMI for d-TGA and SVP (p = 0.03 and p = 0.05, respectively) after adjusting for various factors. Quantitative WMI volume was likewise associated. Stroke was not associated with outcome. The Bland-Altman limits of agreement for PDI scores at 12 and 30 months were wide (?40.3 to 31.2) across the range of mean PDI values.ConclusionsIncreasing burden of WMI is associated with worse motor outcomes at 30 months for infants with critical congenital heart disease, whereas no adverse association was seen between small strokes and outcome. These results support the utility of neonatal brain magnetic resonance imaging in this population to aid in predicting later outcomes and the importance of ND follow-up beyond 1 year of age. |
