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Children
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Evaluation and Management of Children with Congenital Heart Disease
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Evaluation and Management of Children with Congenital Heart Disease

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 1 December 2025 | Viewed by 2691

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Isabella Leo

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, Magna Grecia University, 88100 Catanzaro, Italy
Interests: cardiovascular imaging; echocardiography; cardiac magnetic resonance
Dr. Martina Avesani

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Paediatric Cardiology Unit, Department of Woman’s and Child’s Health, University-Hospital of Padova, University of Padua, Padua, Italy
Interests: congenital heart disease; cardiovascular imaging; echocardiography

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Congenital heart disease (CHD) has seen remarkable advancements over recent decades, revolutionizing care and greatly improving outcomes for millions of individuals born with this condition. Despite these strides, CHD remains a chronic, lifelong condition that continues to pose significant challenges, with many patients experiencing ongoing health complications and increased risk of mortality. To further advance outcomes, global efforts must focus on improving clinical management, refining diagnostic and prognostic tools, and developing strategies for modifying disease progression. These efforts will eventually result in improved patient outcomes and quality of life, with a substantial benefit to healthcare systems. The aim of this Special Issue is to collect contributions spanning the full spectrum of CHD, from initial evaluation through diagnostic and therapeutic pathways to address the evolving needs of this unique patient population.

Dr. Isabella Leo
Dr. Martina Avesani
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 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

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

  • congenital heart disease (CHD)
  • pediatric cardiology
  • cardiovascular imaging
  • cardiomyopathy
  • atrial septal defect
  • tetralogy of fallot
  • echocardiography
  • cardiovascular magnetic resonance

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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16 pages, 493 KB  
Article
Quality of Life and Mental Health Problems in Pediatric Cardiac Arrest Survivors
by Tina Schwartz, Michael Weidenbach, Ingo Dähnert, Christian Paech and Franziska Markel
Children 2025, 12(10), 1397; https://doi.org/10.3390/children12101397 - 16 Oct 2025
Viewed by 325
Abstract
Background: Current research is paying more attention to neurological outcomes and quality of life after life-threatening events. Children with heart disease are particularly vulnerable, especially after resuscitation events. While newer data show that adults with heart failure and a left-ventricular assist device suffer [...] Read more.
Background: Current research is paying more attention to neurological outcomes and quality of life after life-threatening events. Children with heart disease are particularly vulnerable, especially after resuscitation events. While newer data show that adults with heart failure and a left-ventricular assist device suffer from a higher incidence of depression, mental health in pediatric heart disease patients is poorly understood. This is the first study in Germany to examine the quality of life and psychological burden in cardiac arrest survivors with congenital or acquired heart disease. Methods: This monocentric study retrospectively analyzed survival outcomes of pediatric heart disease patients who underwent in-hospital resuscitation between 2008 and 2022. The PedsQL and Strength and difficulties questionnaires were prospectively administered to survivors to assess quality of life and emotional/behavioral problems, while academic achievements were additionally documented. Results: Of 127 patients experiencing cardiac arrest, 91 (71.7%) survived to discharge. Most had complex congenital heart diseases; mean cardiopulmonary resuscitation duration was 14 min. Five patients received extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Of the 22 patients who were receiving follow-up care at the pediatric cardiology outpatient clinic at the time of the study, 14 completed questionnaires were received. Overall quality of life was comparable to healthy controls, though those with prolonged or multiple resuscitations showed lower physical, emotional, social, and school functioning scores. The Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire revealed no pathological scores but elevated average values for hyperactivity and emotional problems in parent reports, and emotional and peer difficulties in self-reports, indicating increased psychological burden. Conclusions: While survival rates are comparable to international data, gaps exist in structured follow-up and neuropsychological care, especially for high-risk subgroups like ECMO survivors. Routine neuropsychological screening and multidisciplinary outpatient programs are essential to improve long-term follow-up care. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Evaluation and Management of Children with Congenital Heart Disease)
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14 pages, 1641 KB  
Article
Deep Learning for Heart Sound Abnormality of Infants: Proof-of-Concept Study of 1D and 2D Representations
by Eashita Wazed, Jimin Lee and Hieyong Jeong
Children 2025, 12(9), 1221; https://doi.org/10.3390/children12091221 - 12 Sep 2025
Viewed by 514
Abstract
Introduction: Advanced identification and intervention for Congenital Heart Defects (CHDs) in pediatric populations are crucial, as approximately 1% of neonates worldwide present with these conditions. Traditional methods of diagnosing CHDs often rely on stethoscope auscultation, which heavily depends on the clinician’s expertise and [...] Read more.
Introduction: Advanced identification and intervention for Congenital Heart Defects (CHDs) in pediatric populations are crucial, as approximately 1% of neonates worldwide present with these conditions. Traditional methods of diagnosing CHDs often rely on stethoscope auscultation, which heavily depends on the clinician’s expertise and may lead to the oversight of subtle acoustic indicators. Objectives: This study introduces an innovative deep-learning framework designed for the early diagnosis of congenital heart disease. It utilizes time-series data obtained from cardiac auditory signals captured through stethoscopes. Methods: The audio signals were processed into time–frequency representations using Mel-Frequency Cepstral Coefficients (MFCCs). The architecture of the model combines Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs) for effective feature extraction with Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) networks to accurately model temporal dependencies. Impressively, the model achieved an accuracy of 98.91% in the early detection of CHDs. Results: While traditional diagnostic tools like Electrocardiograms (ECG) and Phonocardiograms (PCG) remain indispensable for confirming diagnoses, many AI studies have primarily targeted ECG and PCG datasets. This approach emphasizes the potential of cardiac acoustics for the early diagnosis of CHDs, which could lead to improved clinical outcomes for infants. Notably, the dataset used in this research is publicly available, enabling wider application and model training within the research community. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Evaluation and Management of Children with Congenital Heart Disease)
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Review

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21 pages, 1699 KB  
Review
Cardiac Hypertrophy: A Comprehensive Review from Prenatal Life to Young Adulthood
by Martina Avesani, Elettra Pomiato, Sara Moscatelli, Jolanda Sabatino, Nunzia Borrelli, Leonie Luedke, Rosalba De Sarro, Sara Pavesi, Giulia Pelaia, Claudio Mastellone, Isabella Leo and Giovanni Di Salvo
Children 2025, 12(8), 989; https://doi.org/10.3390/children12080989 - 28 Jul 2025
Viewed by 1334
Abstract
Myocardial hypertrophy (MH) represents a complex and heterogeneous condition in the pediatric and young adult population. While rare in children, MH encompasses a wide spectrum of physiological and pathological entities, ranging from transient hypertrophy in the infants of diabetic mothers to progressive genetic [...] Read more.
Myocardial hypertrophy (MH) represents a complex and heterogeneous condition in the pediatric and young adult population. While rare in children, MH encompasses a wide spectrum of physiological and pathological entities, ranging from transient hypertrophy in the infants of diabetic mothers to progressive genetic hypertrophic cardiomyopathies (HCM) with significant morbidity and mortality. Differential diagnosis is critical, as many phenocopies—including metabolic, mitochondrial, and syndromic diseases—can mimic HCM. Echocardiography remains the first-line imaging modality, with cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) and molecular diagnostics increasingly used for detailed characterization. Risk stratification tools, such as the HCM Risk-Kids model, support clinical decision-making but must be integrated with individualized assessment. Advances in prenatal screening and genetic testing have significantly improved outcomes, though long-term management requires multidisciplinary care. Understanding age-specific presentations and the underlying etiologies is essential for accurate diagnosis and targeted treatment. This review provides a comprehensive overview of cardiac hypertrophy from fetal life through young adulthood, with a focus on etiologies, diagnostic approaches, imaging modalities, and therapeutic strategies, and aims to guide clinicians through the evolving landscape of MH, emphasizing early recognition, comprehensive evaluation, and personalized care. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Evaluation and Management of Children with Congenital Heart Disease)
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