Association between congenital heart defects and severe infections in children with Down syndrome

Introduction: There is a high prevalence of congenital heart disease (CHD) in Down syndrome (DS) patients. Children with DS and CHD also present greater susceptibility to pulmonary infections than those without CHD. Aim: To investigate the prevalence and types of CHD and their association with severe infections in children with DS in southern Brazil seen in a reference outpatient clinic. Methods: Children aged between six and 48 months with a diagnosis of DS were included consecutively in the period May 2001 to May 2012, and the presence of CHD and severe infections (pneumonia and sepsis) was investigated, classified and analyzed. Results: A total of 127 patients were included, of whom 89 (70.1%) had some type of CHD, 33 (37.7%) of them requiring surgical correction. Severe infections (pneumonia and sepsis) were seen in 23.6% and 5.5%, respectively. Of the cases of pneumonia, 70% had associated CHD (p=0.001) and of those with sepsis, 85% presented CHD (p=0.001). Conclusions: Our study showed a high prevalence of CHD and its association with severe infections in children with DS seen in southern Brazil. (C) 2013 Sociedade Portuguesa de Cardiologia. Published by Elsevier Espana, S.L. All rights reserved.