Cardiology
occurrence of heart issues for children with CdLS
While the occurrence of heart issues for children with CdLS is higher than their typically developing peers, there have been many advances in the medical field that give us a greater prognosis for treating them than ever before.
The likelihood that any baby is born with a heart defect is 8 in 1,000 (or just under 1%). At the 2008 CdLS USA Foundation National Conference, Dr. Bonnie Lynch presented data showing that 29% of U.S. respondents indicated that their child with CdLS had heart problems/defects.
A recent European study found that 45% of patients with CdLS had congenital heart defects.2 The exact reason why children with CdLS have a higher incidence
of congenital heart disease is not known at this time. Other chromosomal abnormalities (such as Down syndrome) are also known to have a higher incidence of congenital heart defects. Further research will help us determine if specific gene mutations correlate to congenital heart disease within CdLS.