Social cognition and competence in preschoolers with congenital heart disease.

Abstract

Objective: Children born with congenital heart disease (CHD) are at an increased risk for various neurodevelopmental impairments. However, little is known regarding social outcomes associated with CHD, particularly during early childhood. The present study aimed to characterize the sociocognitive profile and to assess the contribution of language, executive functions (EF), and social cognition to social competence (SC) in preschoolers with CHD. Method: Five-year-old children with CHD (n = 55) completed a standardized neuropsychological assessment. Performance on sociocognitive skills was compared to test norms using one-sample t tests. Hierarchical regression was conducted to examine the associations between language skills, affect recognition (AR), theory of mind (ToM), EF (performance-based and parent-rated), and social competence. Results: Children with CHD performed significantly worse than norms in language and ToM, whereas EF and social competence appeared generally preserved in our sample. In hierarchical regression analysis, cognitive functions (language score, AR, ToM, EF performance) accounted for a significant 24.3% of the variance. Parent-rated EF added another 24.8% to the total explained variance. Conclusions: These findings provide new evidence for understanding social cognition and competence among preschoolers with CHD, showing vulnerability in social cognition and language skills but not in social competence more generally. The model suggests a combined contribution of social cognition, language, and EF on social outcomes. Remedial programs addressing these intervention targets could be useful in promoting social development in this vulnerable population.

Executive Function in Preschool Children with Congenital Heart Disease and Controls: The Role of a Cognitively Stimulating Home Environment

“…While our finding that group (CHD or control) did not influence EF scores is supported by a recent study in preschool children at 5 years with CHD, which showed that parent-rated EF scores did not differ from normative means, 37 other studies have identified impaired EF at older ages in individuals with CHD. However recent meta-analyses have shown considerable between-study heterogeneity, including differences in study designs in EF assessments, and outcomes in this population.…”

Beyond the heart: Cognitive and verbal outcomes in Arab children with congenital heart diseases

“…These conditions are characterized by multifaceted consequences and implications that extend well beyond cardiac functionality. Research evidence showed that individuals with CHD often obtain significantly lower measures of abstract reasoning (Semmel et al, 2018), have much lower composite score means for verbal comprehension, and perform significantly worse in language tests as opposed to the general population (Cassidy et al, 2015; Gaudet et al, 2022; Wotherspoon et al, 2020). The cognitive and verbal development of children with CHD appears to be influenced by various factors.…”

Exploring early life social and executive function development in infants and risk for autism: a prospective cohort study protocol of NICU graduates and infants at risk for cerebral palsy

“…To illustrate, delays in both social development and executive function have been repeatedly observed across infants admitted to the NICU and infants with CP [5][6][7][8][9][10]. For instance, cross-sectional studies of these highrisk infants have reported social impairments spanning from social-communicative difficulties in early childhood to social isolation and withdrawal in adolescence and adulthood [6,[9][10][11][12][13][14][15]. These delays have been found to confer lifelong challenges including decreased quality of life, relationship issues and fewer educational and vocational opportunities [16][17][18].…”