[II-JCKAP2-3] Childhood unrecognized congenital heart disease
Unrecognized congenital heart disease (CHD) remains a persistent problem worldwide and is of greater concern in less developed countries. Timely diagnosis of CHD is pivotal for early treatment and reduction of complications, but it is still challenging in rural settings due to limited access to healthcare. In addition of prompt cardiac repair, accurate estimates of unrecognized CHD in school-age children could contribute to quantifying unmet health needs for diagnosis and treatment, such as growth retardation. Although the association between CHD and weight has been investigated in many settings, few studies have reported such an association in children with unrecognized CHD. This lecture will introduce the prevalence of unrecognized CHD and growth status of these CHD children based on population study on a unique cohort of 38,227 children and adolescents aged 2 to 18 years from 86 schools in two sites in China.