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Children
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Research Progress of the Pediatric Cardiology: 4th Edition
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Research Progress of the Pediatric Cardiology: 4th Edition

A special issue of Children (ISSN 2227-9067). This special issue belongs to the section "Pediatric Cardiology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 June 2026 | Viewed by 1247

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Massimo Mapelli

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
1. Cardiology Center Monzino, Scientific Institute for Research, Hospitalization and Healthcare (IRCCS), 20138 Milano, Italy
2. Department of Clinical Sciences and Community Health, Cardiovascular Section, University of Milan, 20122 Milan, Italy
Interests: heart failure; exercise testing; HFrEF; cardiomyo-pathies
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Giulia Guglielmi

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Clinical Sciences and Community Health, University of Milan, 20122 Milan, Italy
Interests: pulmonary hypertension; complex congenital heart diseases; pediatrics

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Considering the success and popularity of the three previous Special Issues published in the journal Children (https://www.mdpi.com/journal/children/special_issues/Research_Progress_Pediatric_Cardiology; https://www.mdpi.com/journal/children/special_issues/Y40A16K8JG; https://www.mdpi.com/journal/children/special_issues/8G2OC509S3 ), we are now releasing another issue aiming to gather original research papers and review articles focused on pediatric cardiology. I am honored to have been asked to serve as the Guest Editor for this valuable project again.

The world of cardiology has undergone a heavy and favorable revolution in recent years. Heart disease that previously seemed incurable can now be addressed with far better diagnostic and therapeutic ability than in the past. Opportunities for the percutaneous or surgical treatment of structural heart disease now permit much less invasive but effective interventions. In parallel, multimodal imaging techniques (advanced echocardiogram, magnetic resonance imaging, cardiac CT) allow for the visualization of the cardiovascular system as has never been possible before, helping our understanding of cardiomyopathies and structural alterations that underlie many diseases of the heart.

The aim of this Special Issue is to produce a rich collection of research, articles and opinions for clinicians, academics and policy makers in the field of pediatric cardiology. Contributions related to all aspects of this topic and, in particular, the understanding, management and improvement of cardiovascular diseases in children, are welcome.

Our work will be based on an interdisciplinary approach to disseminate advanced knowledge and evidence with the aim of improving pediatric cardiovascular care. High-quality papers in all areas of pediatric cardiology will be handled through a fair and rigorous peer review process.

Innovative papers on new cardiovascular treatments, prognostic indicators and imaging techniques, as well as studies focused on the impact of disruptive events (i.e., the COVID-19 pandemic), are particularly welcome.

I look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Massimo Mapelli
Dr. Giulia Guglielmi
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Children is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • pediatric cardiology
  • congenital heart disease
  • heart failure
  • myocarditis
  • COVID-19 and cardiovascular system
  • heart transplantation
  • cardiac imaging in children
  • pediatric cardiology in low-income countries
  • rheumatic heart disease
  • child/children
  • adolescent

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

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  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (2 papers)

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13 pages, 474 KB  
Article
Assessment of the Quality of Life of Children and Adolescents with Rheumatic Heart Disease in Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital Eldoret, Kenya
by Myra Maghasi Koech, Njie Albertine Enjema and Juddy Wachira
Children 2026, 13(5), 623; https://doi.org/10.3390/children13050623 - 30 Apr 2026
Viewed by 357
Abstract
Background: Rheumatic heart disease (RHD) remains a significant public health problem in low- and middle-income countries. Beyond its clinical consequences, RHD adversely affects the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of affected children and adolescents, their families, and healthcare systems. Addressing the HRQoL of [...] Read more.
Background: Rheumatic heart disease (RHD) remains a significant public health problem in low- and middle-income countries. Beyond its clinical consequences, RHD adversely affects the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of affected children and adolescents, their families, and healthcare systems. Addressing the HRQoL of children and adolescents with RHD will contribute to strengthening patient-centered care and policy development. Objective: To determine the health-related quality of life of children and adolescents with rheumatic heart disease attending follow-up at the pediatric cardiology clinic of Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital (MTRH), Kenya. Methods: This was a hospital-based cross-sectional study conducted between January and July 2024. A total of 171 children and adolescents aged 5–18 years were consecutively enrolled while attending follow-up at the pediatric cardiology clinic of MTRH. The EuroQol EQ-5D-Y and EQ-5D-L questionnaires were used to assess HRQoL across five domains: mobility, self-care, usual activities, pain/discomfort, and anxiety/depression. Overall HRQoL was evaluated using the EQ visual analog scale (EQ-VAS) and categorized as optimal (≥80%), suboptimal (70–79%), or poor (≤70%). Results: Overall HRQoL was optimal in 70.8% (n = 121) of participants, suboptimal in 8.2% (n = 14), and poor in 21.1% (n = 36). Impaired HRQoL was significantly associated with poor self-care (95% CI: 0.066–0.853; p = 0.028), anxiety/depression (95% CI: 0.111–0.678; p = 0.005), pain/discomfort (95% CI: 0.142–0.758; p = 0.009) and missing more than five school days (95% CI: 0.109–0.584; p = 0.001). Caregiver characteristics (age, education level, and income), surgical correction, RHD-related hospital admissions, comorbidities, and Ross classification were not significantly associated with HRQoL. Conclusion: Health-related quality of life among children and adolescents with RHD was most adversely affected in the mental health and mobility domains. Routine assessment of HRQoL should be incorporated into the clinical care of children and adolescents with RHD to reduce disease-related morbidity and support holistic management. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Research Progress of the Pediatric Cardiology: 4th Edition)
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12 pages, 1186 KB  
Article
Phenotypic Associations of Early Cardiovascular Surgery in Pediatric Marfan Syndrome
by Veronika C. Stark, Thomas S. Mir, Caja Langkat, Daniel Biermann, Johanna J. Kanitz, Gerhard Schoen, Yskert von Kodolitsch, Nora Lang, Rainer Kozlik-Feldmann, Michael Huebler and Jakob Olfe
Children 2026, 13(4), 504; https://doi.org/10.3390/children13040504 - 3 Apr 2026
Viewed by 481
Abstract
Background/Objectives: Cardiovascular manifestations in pediatric Marfan syndrome (MFS) exhibit substantial heterogeneity. Early identification of patients at elevated risk of requiring cardiac surgery is essential to optimizing outcomes. This study aimed to determine phenotypic features associated with cardiovascular surgery in genetically confirmed pediatric [...] Read more.
Background/Objectives: Cardiovascular manifestations in pediatric Marfan syndrome (MFS) exhibit substantial heterogeneity. Early identification of patients at elevated risk of requiring cardiac surgery is essential to optimizing outcomes. This study aimed to determine phenotypic features associated with cardiovascular surgery in genetically confirmed pediatric MFS. Methods: Among the 1006 children evaluated, 214 with genetically verified MFS were included in the analysis. We categorized patients by the presence or absence of cardiac surgery during childhood. Systemic and cardiovascular features were assessed. We applied binary logistic regression to identify independent associated manifestations with surgical intervention. Results: 20/214 patients (9.3%, 11.5 ± 5.5 years) underwent cardiac surgery (50% aortic root replacement, 20% mitral valve surgery, 30% combined interventions). Extracardiac features—Marfan-type facial features, pectus carinatum, pes planus, hindfoot deformity, and myopia of ≥3 diopters—were significantly associated with an increased probability of surgery (OR 3.0–4.6). Tricuspid valve prolapse and pulmonary artery dilatation were more prevalent in surgical patients. Surgical patients exhibited higher systemic manifestation scores (9.2 vs. 5.2; p ≤ 0.05) per revised Ghent criteria (RGC). Conclusions: A higher systemic score (RGC) correlates with increased risk for surgery. Marfan-type facial features, pectus carinatum, pes planus, hindfoot deformity, and myopia ≥ 3 diopters were strongly associated with the need for early cardiac surgery. Comprehensive phenotypic assessment, including systemic manifestation scoring, enables risk stratification and supports timely surgical planning in pediatric MFS. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Research Progress of the Pediatric Cardiology: 4th Edition)
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