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.
Key words
Congenital heart disease - Cyanosis - Cross and fine motor development - Psychomotor
development
