The following is a summary of “Relationship of Family Factors to Psychosocial Outcomes in Children with Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome at 6 Years of Age,” published in the APRIL 2023 issue of Pediatrics by Mussatto, et al.
For a cross-sectional study, researchers sought to examine the relationships between family factors and outcomes for children with hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS).
The study was conducted as an ancillary analysis of the Pediatric Heart Network Single Ventricle Reconstruction Extension Study. It focused on family factors, including parental mental health, quality of life (QOL), family resources, function and management, and their associations with child psychosocial outcomes (adaptive behavior, internalizing and externalizing behaviors, and health-related quality of life [HRQOL]) at 6 years of age.
The study included 115 mothers and 71 fathers of children with HLHS as participants. Parents reported experiencing higher anxiety levels, lower QOL, and fewer family resources than the general population.
Approximately 33% of parents reported family dysfunction. There were no significant differences between the reports of mothers and fathers. Parental perception of better child health was associated with more effective family management of the child’s condition (P < 0.05). Various family management factors accounted for a moderate amount of variance in adaptive behavior (ΔR2= 0.08-0.14), adaptive skills (ΔR2 = 0.19-0.21), and HRQOL scores (ΔR2 = 0.04-0.18). However, only a small amount of variance was explained in internalizing problems (ΔR2 = 0.02-0.03). These findings were significant even after controlling for demographic and clinical variables.
HLHS had a significant impact on both children and families. The study identified associations between child and family characteristics that pose risks or offer protective effects. Understanding these relationships can guide counseling and the development of tailored interventions to support families affected by HLHS.
Source: jpeds.com/article/S0022-3476(22)00903-9/fulltext
Leave a Reply