
Congenital Heart Disease is the first journal focused exclusively on the study and treatment of congenital heart defects in children and adults. It is the official journal of the Children’s Hospital of Nanjing Medical University. We are committed to publishing clinical studies, invited editorials, state-of-the-art reviews, case reports, articles focusing on the history and development of congenital heart disease, and continuing medical education (CME) materials. All manuscripts (including invited) will undergo a rigorous and thorough editorial procedure to promote reliable research findings.
Science Citation Index Expanded (Clarivate Analytics): 2024 Impact Factor: 1.2; Scopus CiteScore (Impact per Publication 2024): 0.9; SNIP (Source Normalized Impact per Paper 2024): 0.380; Journal Citation Report/Science Edition (JCR); etc.
Open Access
CASE REPORT
Congenital Heart Disease, Vol.20, No.5, pp. 539-546, 2025, DOI:10.32604/chd.2025.071226 - 30 November 2025
Abstract Persistent left superior vena cava (PLSVC) is a rare congenital anomaly that may complicate cardiac procedures when associated with a dilated coronary sinus (CS) and conduction disturbances. We report the case of a 27-year-old male with Wilson’s disease who presented with complete heart block. Echocardiography showed biatrial enlargement and severe CS dilation, while contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT) confirmed PLSVC draining into the CS without a bridging vein. Anatomical constraints prevented cardiac resynchronization therapy, and dual-chamber pacemaker implantation proved technically challenging due to lead placement difficulties. This case highlights the importance of thorough preoperative assessment and More >
Open Access
ARTICLE
Congenital Heart Disease, Vol.20, No.5, pp. 547-558, 2025, DOI:10.32604/chd.2025.072277 - 30 November 2025
Abstract Background: Considering the limited evidence for acute postoperative nutritional therapy for congenital heart disease (CHD), this study evaluated the effects of achieving enteral nutrition (EN) targets in the acute postoperative phase on clinical outcomes in infants after congenital heart surgery. Methods: This retrospective cohort study, conducted in a multivalent pediatric intensive care unit (PICU), enrolled infants aged ≤6 months following congenital heart surgery between April 2021 and March 2023. Based on the American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition guidelines, the EN target was defined as two-thirds of the resting energy expenditure with a protein intake… More >
Open Access
ARTICLE
Congenital Heart Disease, Vol.20, No.5, pp. 559-570, 2025, DOI:10.32604/chd.2025.072242 - 30 November 2025
Abstract Background: The life-course management of children with tetralogy of Fallot (TOF) has focused on demonstrating brain structural alterations, developmental trajectories, and cognition-related changes that unfold over time. Methods: We introduce an magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) dataset comprising TOF children who underwent brain MRI scanning and cross-sectional neurocognitive follow-up. The dataset includes brain three-dimensional T1-weighted imaging (3D-T1WI), three-dimensional T2-weighted imaging (3D-T2WI), and neurodevelopmental evaluations using the Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence–Fourth Edition (WPPSI-IV). Results: Thirty-one children with TOF (age range: 4–33 months; 18 males) were recruited and completed corrective surgery at the Children’s Hospital of Nanjing More >
Open Access
ARTICLE
Congenital Heart Disease, Vol.20, No.5, pp. 571-580, 2025, DOI:10.32604/chd.2025.066258 - 30 November 2025
Abstract Background: Congenital heart disease (CHD) is the most common congenital anomaly, but whether the COVID-19 pandemic affects its prevalence is unknown. We aimed to compare the incidence of CHD during the COVID-19 pandemic with that before the pandemic in China. Methods: This multicenter retrospective observational study involved all newborns in seven representative cities of China between 01 September 2019, and 31 December 2021. All the newborns underwent pulse oximetry monitoring combined with cardiac murmur auscultation in the first 6 h to 72 h after birth for CHD screening. We defined fetuses born in and beyond September… More >
Open Access
ARTICLE
Congenital Heart Disease, Vol.20, No.5, pp. 581-589, 2025, DOI:10.32604/chd.2025.070100 - 30 November 2025
Abstract Background: Psychosocial functioning and quality of life (QoL) are strongly associated with outcomes in pediatric heart transplant recipients. The data in pediatric transplantation, however, is limited. This study aims to investigate the associations of perioperative anxiety and depression with postoperative complications, sociodemographic and clinical characteristics. Methods: This observational, analytical, longitudinal study included 42 pediatric participants aged 8 to 16 years old. Preoperative psychological assessments were completed by 36 children, the remaining 6 were unable to participate due to invasive ventilation, extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), and physical debilitation. Postoperatively, all 42 subjects completed the psychosocial evaluations. Data… More >
Open Access
ARTICLE
Congenital Heart Disease, Vol.20, No.5, pp. 591-600, 2025, DOI:10.32604/chd.2025.070345 - 30 November 2025
Abstract Background: Low cardiac output syndrome (LCOS) is a frequent and serious complication after pediatric cardiac surgery. Endothelial glycocalyx (EG) degradation, indicated by elevated syndecan-1, contributes to microvascular dysfunction and postoperative instability. The relationship between syndecan-1 dynamics and surgical risk categories remains unclear. Objective: To examine the association between perioperative syndecan-1 levels and clinical outcomes across Risk Adjustment for Congenital Heart Surgery (RACHS-1) categories. Methods: We analyzed 106 children (RACHS-1 categories 2–4) undergoing elective cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). Syndecan-1 was measured at baseline (T0), 4 h (T4), and 72 h (T72). Outcomes included LCOS, vasoactive inotropic… More >
Open Access
ARTICLE
Congenital Heart Disease, Vol.20, No.5, pp. 601-612, 2025, DOI:10.32604/chd.2025.072431 - 30 November 2025
Abstract Background: Cardiac implantable electronic devices (CIEDs) are essential for preventing sudden cardiac death in patients with cardiovascular diseases, but implantation procedures carry risks of complications such as infection, hematoma, and bleeding, with incidence rates of 3–4%. Previous studies have examined individual risk factors separately, but integrated predictive models are lacking. We compared the predictive performance and interpretability of artificial neural network (ANN) and logistic regression models to evaluate their respective strengths in clinical risk assessment. Methods: This retrospective study analyzed data from 180 patients who underwent cardiac implantable electronic device (CIED) implantation in Taiwan between 2017… More >
Open Access
REVIEW
Congenital Heart Disease, Vol.20, No.5, pp. 613-623, 2025, DOI:10.32604/chd.2025.071773 - 30 November 2025
(This article belongs to the Special Issue: Novel Methods and Techniques for the Management of Congenital Heart Disease)
Abstract Pediatric congenital heart disease (CHD) pharmacotherapy faces three fundamental barriers: developmental pharmacokinetic complexity, anatomic-genetic heterogeneity, and evidence chain gaps. Traditional agents exhibit critical limitations: digoxin’s narrow therapeutic index (0.5–0.9 ng/mL) is exacerbated by ABCB1 mutations (toxicity risk increases 4.1-fold), furosemide efficacy declines by 35% in neonates due to NKCC2 immaturity, and β-blocker responses vary by CYP2D6 polymorphisms (poor metabolizers require 50–75% dose reduction). Novel strategies demonstrate transformative potential—CRISPR editing achieves 81% reversal of BMPR2-associated pulmonary vascular remodeling, metabolically matured cardiac organoids replicate adult myocardial energy metabolism for drug screening, and SGLT2 inhibitors activate triple mechanisms (calcium overload More >
Open Access
REVIEW
Congenital Heart Disease, Vol.20, No.5, pp. 625-636, 2025, DOI:10.32604/chd.2025.069214 - 30 November 2025
Abstract Congenitally corrected transposition of the great arteries (CCTGA) is a rare congenital heart disease characterized by atrioventricular, ventriculoarterial, and conduction system discordance, commonly accompanied by atrioventricular block (AVB). Pacing in patients with CCTGA and AVB (both pediatric and adult) poses challenges in strategy selection, procedural complexity, and clinical decision-making due to limited evidence. Conventional morphological left ventricular pacing is widely adopted but may induce ventricular dyssynchrony, heart failure, and tricuspid valve dysfunction. While cardiac resynchronization therapy serves as an upgrade for pacing-induced cardiomyopathy and heart failure, its application may be limited by coronary sinus anatomical… More >