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Special Schooling in Children with Congenital Heart Disease: A Risk Factor for Being Disadvantaged in the World of Employment

Pediatric Cardiology volume 30, pages 905–910 (2009)Cite this article

Abstract

The objective of this study was to evaluate type of schooling in children with congenital heart disease (CHD) who were inpatients at a tertiary pediatric cardiology center. This retrospective cohort study included 227 consecutive children with CHD (male, 125; female, 102) who had been inpatients from 1996 to 2005. Data on type of schooling had been documented by the in-hospital teacher at the time of admission. Medical data were obtained by reviewing medical charts. The primary endpoint was the percentage of children requiring special schooling, which was related to the respective percentage in the Austrian pediatric background population. Furthermore, the influence of clinical and demographic covariables was assessed. Fifteen percent (vs. 3.6% in the background population) of the study cohort required special schooling; 86% of them had a history of cardiac surgery. Cardiopulmonary bypass surgery in the first year of life showed a trend for an association with an increased frequency of special schooling. There were no significant associations with the Aristotle Basic Score (a measure for procedure complexity in CHD), gender, or first language. In conclusion, the need for special schooling is increased in children with CHD.

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Acknowledgment

We thank Mrs. Karin Hamann who is in-hospital teacher on the paediatric cardiology ward for both dedication and exceptional professional commitment to her work with children and adolescents born with CHD.

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Affiliations

  1. Division of Pediatric Cardiology, Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Medical University of Vienna, Währinger Gürtel 18-20, 1090, Vienna, Austria

    Elisabeth Mlczoch, Sulaima Albinni, Erwin Kitzmueller, Andreas Hanslik, Sigrid Jalowetz, Christoph Male & Ulrike Salzer-Muhar

Authors
  1. Elisabeth Mlczoch
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  2. Sulaima Albinni
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  3. Erwin Kitzmueller
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  4. Andreas Hanslik
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  5. Sigrid Jalowetz
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  6. Christoph Male
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  7. Ulrike Salzer-Muhar
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Correspondence to Ulrike Salzer-Muhar.

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Mlczoch, E., Albinni, S., Kitzmueller, E. et al. Special Schooling in Children with Congenital Heart Disease: A Risk Factor for Being Disadvantaged in the World of Employment. Pediatr Cardiol 30, 905–910 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00246-009-9455-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00246-009-9455-9

Keywords

  • Special schooling
  • Congenital heart disease
  • Children