Gross and fine motor development is impaired in children with cyanotic congenital heart disease

Many factors may intervene with the motor development of children with cong enital heart disease (CHD). Children aged 5 to 14 years with various CHD we re examined for disturbances of gross and fine motor development using moto -metric tests and compared with 30 healthy controls. The results of the Kor perkoordinationstest fur Kinder (KTK) (a body coordination test for childre n) for gross motor development were significantly lower in patients with un corrected cyanotic CHD (motor quotient MQ 74.8 +/- 11.7, mean +/- 1 standar d 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 the se results and the cardiopulmonary exercise capacity was found. In patients with cyanotic CHD, significant deficits in fine motor development were pre sent before corrective surgery (e.g. Ziel-punktiertest [dotting] MQ 87.7 +/ - 9.9 vs. 106.5 +/- 10.8), but already two years afterwards the results rea ched nearly normal values (MQ 97.1 +/- 17.0). In contrast, children with ac yanotic CHD demonstrated normal gross and fine motor development. These res ults indicate that long-standing hypoxemia in infancy must be considered as an important cause of the pronounced motor disturbances. Early neurologica l evaluation of these children and a specialized motor physiotherapy are re commended.