Feldmann M, Borer J, Knirsch W, Daum MM, Wermelinger S, Latal B. Atypical gaze-following behaviour in infants with congenital heart disease.
Early Hum Dev 2023;
181:105765. [PMID:
37079962 DOI:
10.1016/j.earlhumdev.2023.105765]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2023] [Revised: 04/01/2023] [Accepted: 04/01/2023] [Indexed: 04/22/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND
Neurodevelopmental impairments are the most prevalent non-cardiac long-term sequelae in children with complex congenital heart disease (CHD). Deficits include the social-emotional and social-cognitive domains. Little is known about the predecessors of social-cognitive development in infants with CHD during the first year of life. Gaze-following behaviour can be used to measure early social-cognitive abilities.
AIMS
To assess gaze-following development in infants with CHD compared to healthy controls.
STUDY DESIGN
Prospective cohort study.
PARTICIPANTS
Twenty-three infants who underwent neonatal correction for CHD and 84 healthy controls.
OUTCOME MEASURES
Gaze-following behaviour was assessed by eye tracking at 6 and 12 months. Difference scores for first fixation, fixation frequency and fixation duration towards the gaze-cued object were calculated across 6 trials and compared between groups at both testing time points while adjusting for known confounders. Linear mixed models were calculated to assess the longitudinal trajectory of gaze-following development while accounting for the nested and dependent data structure.
RESULTS
At 6 months, no difference in gaze-following behaviour between CHD and healthy controls was found. At 12 months, fixation frequency towards the gaze-cued was lower and looking duration was shorter in CHD compared to controls (p = 0.0077; p = 0.0068). Infants with CHD showed less increase with age in the fixation frequency towards the congruent object (p = 0.041) compared to controls.
CONCLUSION
During the first year of life, gaze-following development diverges in infants with CHD compared to healthy controls. Further research is needed to investigate the clinical relevance of these findings and the association with later social-cognitive development.
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