Treatment Outcomes for Children with Congenital Heart Defects and Down Syndrome

Abstract

Every year 4,5–5 thousand of children with congenital heart defects are born in Ukraine, among them there are 750 (20 %) children with Down syndrome. In the XXI century the problem of social and medical adaptation of these children in Ukraine is not solved. The attitude of doctors and society to necessity and timeframes of heart defect repair in children with Down syndrome is controversial. The aim of our research was medical and statistic indices of surgical care to children with congenital heart disease both with and without Down syndrome. It was found out that children with Down syndrome underwent mainly palliative correction of congenital heart disease, associated with increased pulmonary circulation. Significantly higher mortality of children with Down syndrome after surgical treatment is associated with palliative operations. It was found out that children with Down syndrome in optimal age are operated less oftener because of the absence of objective reasons for it.

Keywords

• congenital heart defects, down syndrome